Chelsea have been dealt a blow in their pursuit of defender Nathan Ake this summer, with Manchester City not wanting to sell the defender.
This comes following reports that the Blues were ‘getting closer’ to bringing Ake back to Stamford Bridge.
Thomas Tuchel had identified the Dutch defender, who left Chelsea back in 2017, as he looks to rebuild his defence.
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Following the departures of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen, the Blues are in the market for two defenders this summer.
Discussions were said to be ongoing for Ake, alongside talks for Sevilla’s Jules Kounde and Juventus defender Matthijs de Ligt, while Kalidou Koulibaly’s agent has offered him to Chelsea.
However, the Blues’ pursuit of Ake has taken a blow, it has been reported.
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According to Manchester Evening News writer Simon Bajkowski, Manchester City are not considering letting Ake depart during this window.
Despite Chelsea’s confidence at landing the Dutch international, City are less than convinced.
Ake is one of just four senior central defenders at the Etihad and his departure would leave Pep Guardiola’s side chasing a replacement.
The Spaniard is said to have a rule which would allow any player to leave if he wants to and an acceptable offer from another cub is presented.
However, Ake would not be allowed to leave unless a ‘very good price’ was agreed.
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Furthermore, Man City would need to know that they can find a suitable replacement during this transfer window to allow Ake to join Chelsea.
The report continues to reveal that it would take over a £50 million bid from Chelsea for City to even consider beginning to look for a replacement, which would allow Ake to depart.
It remains to be seen as to whether Chelsea would consider such a high bid for a player who was previously on their books.
Other targets could be discussed, instead as Chelsea are keen to strengthen the defence during this window.
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Speaking to The Telegraph, a senior source at Chelsea 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.”
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De Ligt, Koulibaly and Kounde could all be seen as alternatives to Ake this transfer window as Tuche targets defensive reinforcements.
Featured Image Credit: AlamyTopics: Chelsea, Chelsea Transfer News & Rumours, Nathan Ake, Manchester City, Transfers, Football, Premier League