Nathan Aké was born on 18 February 1995 in The Hague, Netherlands, and began his youth career at ADO Den Haag before moving to Feyenoord. At fifteen he joined Chelsea's academy, making his Premier League debut as a seventeen-year-old substitute on Boxing Day 2012 against Norwich City. He was part of the Chelsea squad that won the UEFA Europa League in 2013, and was voted the club's Young Player of the Year that same season.
Loan spells at Reading, Watford, and Bournemouth followed, with the Bournemouth stint proving particularly significant. He scored a dramatic 93rd-minute winner as Bournemouth overturned a 3–1 deficit to beat Liverpool 4–3 in December 2016. That performance contributed to Bournemouth signing him permanently in June 2017 for a then club-record £20 million, and he went on to win both the Players' Player and Fans' Player of the Season awards in his first permanent season.
Manchester City signed Aké in August 2020 for £41 million. He has since collected four Premier League titles, a UEFA Champions League winners' medal — starting the 2023 final against Inter Milan — a FIFA Club World Cup, and a UEFA Super Cup among other honours.
A strong, composed central defender equally comfortable at left-back, Aké is valued for his reading of the game, aerial ability, and composure on the ball. At City he provides reliable depth and competition across the backline.
Internationally, Aké made his senior debut for the Netherlands on 31 May 2017 and was part of the squad that reached the quarter-finals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.