Chelsea 'Getting Closer' To Reaching Agreement With Man City For Nathan Ake

Chelsea are closing in on striking an agreement with Manchester City for defender Nathan Ake this summer, according to reports.

Thomas Tuchel has shortlisted the 27-year-old, who previously left the Blues back in 2017 for AFC Bournemouth, as a defensive option to bolster the backline following the departures of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen. 

Discussions have been ongoing for Ake, as well as for Sevilla’s Jules Kounde and Juventus defender Matthijs de Ligt, while Kalidou Koulibaly is also of interest.

Chelsea have already entered talks with the Premier League champions for Raheem Sterling’s signature, which is expected to be agreed as City await the opening bid for the 27-year-old. 

But they also want another City player in Ake, and according to Matteo Moretto, the clubs are nearing an agreement over a fee for the Dutch international. 

El Chelsea trabaja para cerrar el primer fichaje en defensa: Nathan Aké, del City, está cada vez más cerca. Sobre la mesa casi 40 millones. @relevo

— Matteo Moretto (@MatteMoretto) June 29, 2022

Reports out of Spain suggest Chelsea are working on finalising a deal which is worth in the region of 40 million, however whether that is euros or pounds remains unclear. 

Tuchel wants a new-look defence next term and Ake, who joined City from Bournemouth back in 2020 for £40 million, could be one of the first additions in the Todd Boehly-Clearlake Capital era.

The defence has been eyed as a priority, along with the attack, a decision that was confirmed by a source close to the consortium earlier this month. 

When speaking to The Telegraph, they said: "The key is to basically work with Tuchel to come up with the best players that are available.

"We really want to make sure we have a good defence.

"We've got depth in midfield.

"We're not desperate for an out-and-out striker.

“Fortunately, there's reasonable opportunities in the market right now in order to satisfy the fans' desire to be competitive.

"I think it's a combination of moves and there's five or six that we're going to look to make.”

Ake and Matthijs de Ligt are suggested to be key to Tuchel's defensive rebuild at Stamford Bridge.

Currently, Ake is competing for a role in the City side which has Aymeric Laporte, Ruben Dias and John Stones at the back and may see a return to Stamford Bridge as an opportunity to find more regular minutes.

Whether Chelsea can pull off a double raid of the Etihad, with reports also linking Oleksandr Zinchenko, remains to be seen but it appears they are also close to bringing Ake back to where it all started in England.