Reasons Behind Hold-Up In Chelsea Pursuit Of Manchester City's Nathan Ake Revealed

Chelsea's pursuit of Manchester City centre-back Nathan Ake is being held-up for one particular reason, it has been revealed in a new report.

The London club have been interested in a number of players from the Etihad Stadium this summer, none more so than Raheem Sterling.

The England international forward is understood to have been considering his options following the end of last season.

After Pep Guardiola failed to promise the player a consistent role in his starting eleven next season, Sterling - who has just one year remaining on his Manchester City contract - put on hold any discussions over a new deal.

However, while at one stage the player commanded interest from almost every club in Europe, his options this time around have been somewhat limited.

There is an expectation that Chelsea will ultimately complete a deal for Sterling, and that it is merely a matter of when, rather than if.

But negotiators from Stamford Bridge are not set to stop there when it comes to interest in Pep Guardiola's players.

A pursuit of centre-back Nathan Ake - who was a former employee of Chelsea - is set to intensify in the coming days, with talks ongoing between the relevant parties.

Nathan Ake in Manchester City training

While Ake remains a top target for Thomas Tuchel, a hold-up in a potential deal has been outlined in a fresh update on the situation.

It has been reported by Nizaar Kinsella of the Evening Standard that Chelsea officials hope to complete the signing of one of their two main defensive targets this week.

Those two names are Manchester City's Nathan Ake, and Juventus' Matthijs de Ligt - with negotiations ongoing concerning both players.

However, it is claimed that the discussions over a potential return to Stamford Bridge for Nathan Ake are the more advanced of the two.

From the part of Premier League champions Manchester City, club officials are looking to recoup the £41 million they spent on the player in a deal from Bournemouth in the summer of 2020.

Nevertheless, the Etihad's valuation of the 27-year-old central defender is 'not expected to be a problem' in talks with Chelsea, according to the Evening Standard.

Nathan Ake and Raheem Sterling of Manchester City. (Alamy)

In fact, the main issue holding up any deal is Manchester City’s desire to sign a replacement for Nathan Ake, and at present, there have been no concrete links to any targets in his position across Europe.

That could change very quickly in the coming days however.

City officials are known to be prepared for situations like this, and have lists of potential options stored away at the City Football Academy to explore.

Previous players of interest have included Villarreal's Pau Torres, and Inter Milan's Alessandro Bastoni - however it remains to be seen whether either of those players would be pursued in the event of a Nathan Ake exit this summer.