Chelsea are set to end their pursuit of former player Nathan Ake. According to reports, Ake won’t be leaving the Etihad and is happy to stay.
There was an agreement between Chelsea and Ake for quite some time now. The centre-back was willing to join the Blues, but they have decided not to follow through with it. The signing of Kalidou Koulibaly may have played a role in this.
Chelsea will now search elsewhere, though. PSG’s Presnal Kimpembe and Joules Kounde are some of the options that have been discussed.
According to The Athletic, Pep Guardiola’s team valued Ake’s versatility and did not want to allow him to leave this transfer window. Additionally, Chelsea was unable to match the player’s value as set by the Premier League champions. Therefore, City and Ake have come to an agreement for him to stay at the club.
What Next For Ake?
Nathan Ake was a Chelsea youth team player but never established himself as a regular. He played sporadically and went on loan to different clubs. He eventually established himself as a regular at AFC Bournemouth, and was a key member of their squad during their time in the Premier League. Following the Cherries’ relegation, Manchester City snapped him up for 40 million Pounds.
But the Dutch international had trouble getting game time there. In the pecking order, Ake found himself behind the likes of Ruben Dias, Ayermic Laporte and John Stones. Thomas Tuchel saw him as an option for the left side of his three-defender setup, but a move never came to fruition.
With Ake set to stay, it will be interesting to see how his situation pans out. He can fill in at left-back as well. With Zinchenko set to leave, he can be used a depth option in that position.
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