West London club Chelsea have reportedly reached an agreement with Manchester City defender Nathan Ake but City are asking for a transfer fee of around £45 million.
This was made known by transfer window specialist Fabrizio Romano, as he revealed that the Blues have agreed on personal terms with Nathan Ake and the deal may be finalized soon.
However, Chelsea are yet to submit an official bid to Man City, as they seek up to £45 million before they can release the Netherlands defender.
Chelsea have been involved in discussion with a lot of top players across Europe as the new owner Todd Boehly looks to strengthen the club’s squad ahead of next season. The Blues have also been busy in the transfer window by letting players leave without making a single signing yet.
They have also reached an agreement with Man City over the signing of Raheem Sterling and the Englishman has agreed to personal terms. The Blues want to follow up on that move with another raid on the Premier League champions for Nathan Ake.
Chelsea have full agreement with Nathan Aké on personal terms. Man City are aware of the situation on the player side, but still waiting to receive the official bid. 🔵 #CFC
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 8, 2022
City want around £40/45m for Aké and plan is to replace him with a new centre back in case he leaves. pic.twitter.com/Pyu8jwYf6o
Chelsea have entered into a discussion for Nathan Ake since they reached out to City for Raheem Sterling and got a positive response. Man City are also open to releasing Nathan Ake this summer if Chelsea brings the offer they want.
The Netherlands international is a former Chelsea player who joined them in 2011 until 2017 before switching to Bournemouth in a £20 million permanent deal.
However, Ake got a lot of playing time at Bournemouth and established himself as one of the best defenders in the English Premier League which made Man City sign him for £40 million in 2020.
He has failed to maintain a spot in City’s starting XI and has been used as a backup defender since he joined the club. Although he’s a good backup for the Pep Guardiola team, Man City are ready to let him go this summer after spending just two years at the club. The London giants need new defenders this summer, especially in the left-back position.
The exit of Antonio Rudiger to Real Madrid has left a huge vacuum in Thomas Tuchel’s defense area and it needs to be filled before the start of next season.
Chelsea has been linked with top defenders like Jules Jounde and Matthijs de Ligt. The Blues also lost Andreas Christensen to Barcelona and the Spanish giants might also take Chelsea’s captain Cesar Azpilicueta this summer.