Chelsea first-team star wants talks, but hints at unwanted exit

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Chelsea defender Nathan Ake has insisted that he hopes to hold talks with the club about his future as he eyes more playing time moving forward.

The 22-year-old spent the first part of last season on loan at Bournemouth where he was an influential figure for Eddie Howe’s side.

However, after returning to Stamford Bridge in January, he rarely played aside from in cup competitions and that would undoubtedly have been a huge source of frustration for him as he it almost certainly stunted his development after gaining so much experience in the first few months of the campaign.

Speaking to The Guardian, the Dutchman has now revealed that he hopes to have talks with technical director Michael Emenalo and boss Antonio Conte over the summer to determine what’s best for his future as ultimately, he wants to be on the pitch more.

“I know what you mean, because when I was 17, 18, 19, you are happy that you are going to be involved, or be on the bench, or get some minutes. But I think at my age now, you want to play a little bit more, also because I had a taste of it with last season and the start of this season.

“Of course you also know that this is a big club, so there will be big players and it’s not easy to come into the team. I just need to see what is going to happen with Michael [Emenalo, the technical director] or the manager. We have to talk and see what is best.”

It’s a tough balancing act as it’s understandable as to why he wouldn’t want to leave Chelsea. The opportunity to train day in and day out with world class players will only benefit him while he obviously has the chance to win trophies with Conte’s men.

However, is it enough to be a bit-part player in that over being a prominent figure elsewhere? That’s a question he’ll have to answer this summer.

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