Nathan Ake's struggles to get consistent playing time under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City have led to rumors this summer of a return to his previous club Chelsea.
City of Manchester's Nathan Ake
With Man City, Nathan Ake has sat on the sidelines a lot.
According to reports, Chelsea is considering inviting Nathan Ake, a defender for Manchester City, back to Stamford Bridge this summer.
Following the free transfers of both Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen, the Blues are searching for central defenders this summer. In recent weeks, numerous center backs have been connected to Thomas Tuchel's team, including Jules Kounde of Sevilla, Pau Torres of Villarreal, and Matthijs de Ligt of Juventus.
After struggling to make an impact at City, Ake has suddenly emerged as a legitimate contender. According to The Guardian, he is a center-back target for Chelsea and may be enticed away from the Etihad this summer.
The 27-year-old has only made 40 appearances in his two years with Man City, and Pep Guardiola prioritizes Ruben Dias, Aymeric Laporte, and John Stones ahead of him. In the Premier League last season, he only made 10 starts, and on occasion, he was asked to play left-back in his place.
Due to loan stints with Reading, Watford, and Bournemouth, the Netherlands international spent six years as a Chelsea player but only made 17 appearances for the team between 2011 and 2017.He was traded to the Cherries in 2017 for £20 million, and in the summer of 2020, he joined City for £41 million.
Chelsea's defense has several more targets besides Ake. The Blues have been after Kounde for more than a year, but they apparently no longer have as much interest in the France international as they once had in De Ligt.
Chelsea's Nathan Ake
In 2011, Nathan Ake joined Chelsea.
The former Ajax defender has a deal with Juve that runs until 2024, but he reportedly won't sign a new one with the Italian powerhouses. That made Chelsea aware of his prospective summer availability,Although his £103 million (€120 million) buyout clause is a worry.
According to reports, Chelsea has been given a £200 million transfer budget to spend on players this summer. The new owner Todd Boehly, who is actively involved in talks with rival clubs, has set his sights on up to five new players. On Monday, Boehly contacted Man City to discuss a deal for Raheem Sterling. Another potential arrival is Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele.
Romelu Lukaku may be followed by Christian Pulisic, Hakim Ziyech, and Timo Werner in the upcoming weeks. After failing to live up to expectations when he returned to Stamford Bridge in a club-record £97.5 million move, Lukaku is set to re-join Inter Milan on a season-long loan contract.
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