Report | Chelsea shortlist £40 million move for Nathan Ake

Report | Chelsea shortlist £40 million move for Nathan Ake

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Nathan Ake is on Chelsea’s wishlist but any move will only take place after Frank Lampard assesses Antonio Rudiger’s fitness. The Blues have managed to reduce their transfer ban to one window and that will see them free to sign players in January with Ake, Jadon Sancho and Wilfried Zaha on the list.

AFC Bournemouth defender Nathan Ake for long has been on Chelsea’s wishlist after impressing for the Cherries at the Vitality stadium. The 24-year-old defender moved from Chelsea to Bournemouth in 2017 after a successful loan campaign with the Cherries in 2016. The Blues have been amazed by the defender’s growth at Bournemouth and are keen to re-sign him in the upcoming winter transfer window.

Chelsea’s transfer ban imposed by FIFA has been reduced by the Court of Arbitration of Sports (CAS) meaning the Stamford Bridge tenants are eligible to sign players in January. Reports indicate that Frank Lampard will have as much as £150 million to spend in the upcoming transfer window and with the Blues keen to sign a defender to their squad, Nathan Ake is at the top of their shortlist as one of the possible options, the Telegraph has reported.

However, whether to buy Ake or not will be decided only after manager Frank Lampard assess Antonio Rudiger’s form and fitness. The German international has missed the first of the season so far with groin and knee problems, which has caused a few problems for Chelsea. But in Rudiger's absence, Lampard has had to do with Fikayo Tomori, Andreas Christensen and Kurt Zouma as their only regular centrebacks.

Having sold Ake to Bournemouth for £20 million in 2017, the report further added that Chelsea believes they can re-sign Ake for around £40 million which is well under his market value. The Dutchman was valued at £70m during the summer, which was when both the Manchester sides were considering a move for the versatile defender.

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