Manchester City are reportedly close to agreeing a deal to seal the transfer of Bournemouth defender Nathan Ake.
According to the Guardian, Chelsea are also interested in re-signing the Netherlands international, though he’s expected to make a move to the Etihad Stadium for around £35million.
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Ake has shone at Bournemouth in recent times, despite Eddie Howe’s side closing in on relegation from the Premier League this season.
It makes sense that City are now chasing Ake, as Pep Guardiola urgently needs to strengthen at the back after a difficult season in which his side allowed Liverpool to run away with the Premier League title.
MCFC have not looked the same since club legend Vincent Kompany left last summer, and Aymeric Laporte’s injury problems haven’t helped.
Chelsea fans will no doubt be disappointed, however, as they also look in desperate need of new signings at the back, with Ake also previously on their books as a youngster.
“I hate the transfer window honestly, sometime I’m going to kidnap a player and stick them in the back of my car until the the transfer window is over so they can’t escape.” Click here to find out who said this.
The 25-year-old has developed into a fine player who’d surely walk into Frank Lampard’s starting XI now, with doubts over the likes of Antonio Rudiger, Kurt Zouma and Andreas Christensen.
The Blues are not yet guaranteed to finish in the top four and have been leaking goals of late, so there will surely be regrets about losing Ake earlier in his career as he now looks set to strengthen one of their rivals.