Chelsea will not get Manchester City’s £50 million rated centre-back Nathan Ake on the cheap, according to reports.
Blues head coach Thomas Tuchel is desperate to bring in defenders this summer, and former Chelsea man, Ake, is on his list.
Chelsea shipped out the centre-back to Bournemouth in 2017 under the management of Antonio Conte, after he made just 17 appearances for the senior side.
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Three years down the line, he completed a £40 million move to Manchester City and now is back on Chelsea’s radar.
Previous reports have suggested that the Blues move for the Dutchman had been progressing, with it looking likely that the 27-year-old could join alongside current teammate, Raheem Sterling.
Tuchel is a big fan of Ake, believing the defender to be a key part of his plans for next season.
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The potential fee that could be upwards of £50 million may warn off Chelsea’s interest though.
The Blues have already lost the services of Antonio Rudiger on a free to Real Madrid and Andreas Christensen is likely following the German to Spain as he looks to complete a move to Barcelona.
The Spanish outfit have also had ties with moves for captain Cesar Azpilicueta and wing-back Marcos Alonso.
This has left Chelsea in a tight spot with a lack of central defenders, meaning they need to splash the cash and strengthen the backline significantly this summer.
According to The Sun however, Manchester City have signalled a warning to Chelsea, stating they have no interest in selling Ake, who only joined the club two years ago.
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Even if Chelsea were to make a bid that City would accept, the Premier League champions would need to have acquired a replacement first.
While Ake remains an option, Juventus defender Matthijs de Ligt has been made the main priority in recent weeks.
It has been reported that he has the perfect credentials to lead the defensive rebuild at Stamford Bridge
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Elsewhere, Chelsea have been eyeing up moves for long-term target Jules Kounde, Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly and Slovakian defender Milan Skriniar.
Tuchel needs reinforcements in this area of the pitch, and it was confirmed by Fabrizio Romano that Chelsea would be signing at least two centre-backs this summer.
Whether it is Ake, or one of the other options listed, it is crucial that the Blues bolster the backline heading into the new season.
Now it's a case of when and not if over new arrivals, but Tuchel will be keen to have as much time to work with any new arrivals before the season gets underway.
Topics: Nathan Ake, Chelsea, Manchester City
Sam Collins