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What’s the rumour?
Manchester City are pondering a move for Nathan Ake according to reports in The Sun. The Dutch defender is a £40 million target for the Cityzens as Pep Guardiola wants a young defender signed in January.
The manager is said to be keen on the Bournemouth defender as it will help boost the club's home-grown quota. The 23-year-old is a versatile player who can play as a left-back and a defensive midfielder as well.
In case you didn’t know...
Nathan Ake started his Premier League career at Chelsea after coming through their academy. The centre-back then moved to Bournemouth last summer as his chances at Stamford Bridge were limited.
The heart of the matter
Nathan Ake has been on top of his form ever since he debuted at Chelsea but was unable to get into the team ahead of Gary Cahill and David Luiz. The addition of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen made it more difficult for him to get chances and he decided to leave for Bournemouth.
Chelsea reportedly have a buy-back clause in his contract but a move back to the bridge isn't on the cards. The Blues have the same four central defenders and unless Cahill leaves in January, Chelsea will not be activating the clause.
Ake was linked with Manchester United and Tottenham earlier this month and was questioned by the media about a possible move. “At the moment I play at Bournemouth and that is going very well, so I focus on that,” said the 23-year-old in reply.
Rumour probability: 5/10
The Sun are not a reliable source all the time but this one is on the edge. City need a long-term replacement for Vincent Kompany and Ake fits the bill perfectly. He is just the kind of player Guardiola would love to have in his squad.
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What’s next?
Chelsea will have the first option and should they decide not to activate the buy-back clause, Manchester City will have to fight it out with Manchester United and Tottenham for the Dutchman.
