Chelsea’s pursuit of the Bournemouth star defender Nathan Ake is in jeopardy, as Manchester City have recently joined the race, according to the latest reports from England
The perennial Premier League champions are assessing the prospect of hiring the 24-year-old centre-back to replace the injured Aymeric Laporte, and the Dutch defender fits the profile perfectly.
However, the Blues inserted a £40million buy-back clause when shipping Ake to the Vitality Stadium in 2017, and Franck Lampard intends to trigger it in January.
📰| Manchester City are interested in signing 24 year old Bournemouth Centre Back Nathan Ake to help bolster centre back options after the departure of Vincent Kompany and the injury to Aymeric Laporte.
— City Chief (@City_Chief) December 9, 2019
[Sky Sports] pic.twitter.com/1IIDUdgSi2
According to the Daily Mail, Pep Guardiola’s prime objective for the upcoming transfer session is to strengthen his defensive department, even though he has recently said that he won’t be making any moves this winter.
Since joining the Cherries, Ake has established himself as one of the most highly-rated defenders in England’s top-tier, drawing attention from several Premier League giants.
However, the former Watford man had to leave the pitch in Bournemouth’s 3-0 loss to Liverpool at the weekend, and if the scans show he injured his hamstring, it could fend off the suitors in January.
