Ex-Chelsea defender Nathan Ake is reportedly wanted back at the club, with the team’s defensive record not the greatest this season.
Bournemouth signed Ake back in 2017 for £20million (Sky Sports) from the Blues and he’s gone on to become a key player for Eddie Howe’s side.
The 24-year-old has developed immensely at Bournemouth and is still an ever-present in their backline with plenty of top-flight experience now under his belt.
According to Sky Sports, Chelsea inserted a £40million buy-back cause in the centre-back’s deal when he moved to the Cherries.
It is understood that Frank Lampard’s team are now keen on bringing him back to West London and have the advantage of the buy-back clause, but Manchester City do want to try sign him in January.
With Chelsea appearing to be in pole position for Ake, should they splash out £40million on his signature?
Based off his consistent level of performances in the past couple of seasons it looks like bringing the Dutchman back to Stamford Bridge could be a masterstroke and a £40million gamble worth taking.
He is a left-footed centre-back that has the qualities of being a great passer and being comfortable on the ball, but he also seems a real leader at the back.
His development at Bournemouth has made big clubs like Man City take notice and it looks like he should be playing for an elite team when he hits his peak during the upcoming seasons.
There could be a great balance to Chelsea’s heart of defence with a potential combination of Ake next to Antonio Rudiger and it’s one that should potentially be explored.
Frank Lampard has had a good look at centre-backs Andreas Christensen, Fikayo Tomori and Kurt Zouma this campaign, so ultimately it will boil down to him for his preference but there has to be ownership that the team have struggled defensively recently.
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