Manchester City are reportedly in talks with Chelsea over the sale of defensive outcast Nathan Ake this summer.
According to The Times, Chelsea have made some positive strides in their pursuit of Nathan Ake. The Dutch centre-back has emerged as a shock defensive target for Thomas Tuchel this summer, with the Blues in advanced talks with Manchester City over his potential move to Stamford Bridge.
Manchester City are open to sanctioning the sale of Ake to their arch-rivals as the player has not been able to live up to his expectations at Etihad Stadium. Although Newcastle United have also been in contention to sign the Dutchman this summer, Chelsea have emerged as the real contenders and could bag him ahead of the new season.
Ake knows the Chelsea environment well, having played for the club for six years before eventually joining Bournemouth permanently in 2017. He made his professional breakthrough for the Cherries before sealing a big-money move to Manchester City in the summer of 2020.
However, the investment has not paid dividends for the English champions. During his two years at Etihad, the defender has only racked up 40 competitive appearances, falling behind the likes of Ruben Dias, Aymeric Laporte and John Stones in the pecking order.
It has compelled Manchester City to get rid of his services this summer, with Chelsea gunning for a potential reunion with the Dutch international.
With Antonio Rudiger joining Real Madrid and Andreas Christensen moving to Barcelona, the Blues are in desperate need of defensive reinforcements this summer. They have been linked with a move for Juventus superstar Matthijs de Ligt while Sevilla’s Jules Kounde has emerged as a potential alternative.
However, Chelsea have not had much luck in their pursuit of either of these defenders. As such, Tuchel is now eyeing a move for Ake, who has a proven credential in the Premier League despite his struggles at Manchester City over the past couple of years.
With 169 appearances in the Premier League, the Dutchman offers vast experience at the highest level of football. He is versatile enough to operate as a left-back as well, which could come in handy for Chelsea, especially amid speculation linking Marcos Alonso to a move to FC Barcelona this summer.
