There has been some debate over whether Nathan Ake would be worth the £40 million it would take to bring him back to Stamford Bridge. Chelsea will need to make a decision soon because they may lose their chance after January.
The Daily Mail has reported that the £40 million buy-back clause in his contract that applies only to Chelsea will expire before the summer of 2020.
Ake is one of the most highly-rated English defenders in the Premier League and could make a real difference to Chelsea’s defence. Those at the club will be desperate to avoid rival clubs getting hold of the Netherlands international.
Manchester City look set to rival Chelsea in their pursuit of Ake (Sky Sports), and once January passes, the playing field will be leveled and the 24-year-old may go on to pick Manchester over London.
If Chelsea were to buy Ake, would they just be doing it because of the buy-back option? With several other young options at his disposal, Lampard may view the former Blue as an unnecessary signing.
Fikayo Tomori, Andreas Christensen and Kurt Zouma are all 25-years old or younger and may go on to be better options at the back than Ake.
Spending £40 million on him could be a mistake. Chelsea may well be better off spending a bit more and getting a world-class defender who has established himself at one of Europe’s best clubs.
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