Bournemouth defender Nathan Ake in action. (Getty Images)
Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur are plotting a swoop for £40million-rated Bournemouth star Nathan Ake in January, claims the Daily Star.
Mauricio Pochettino wants Nathan Ake as a replacement for Toby Alderweireld, who has refused to sign a new contract and is set to depart the club next summer. Meanwhile, Manchester United want the Dutchman to solve their defensive issues. (h/t Daily Star)
Nathan Ake has played a key role in Bournemouth’s surge to the 6th place in the standings and has established himself as a rock at the back for Eddie Howe’s side. His consistent displays in the heart of the defence haven’t eluded the eyes of the big guns in the Premier League and the former Chelsea man could be on his way to a bigger club.
Ake is not the only youngster who had a tough time at Stamford Bridge. Despite impressing at the youth levels, he wasn’t given regular minutes at the senior level to make a mark and spent time on loan at Reading, Watford and Bournemouth. Eventually, the Cherries made his stay permanent for a fee of £20million in 2017.
Bournemouth’s front trio consisting of Callum Wilson, Joshua King and Ryan Fraser has stolen much of the limelight due to their heroics in the final third. However, Nathan Ake’s consistent performances at the back are definitely worthy of a lot of applause. The 23-year-old Dutchman has formed a formidable partnership with the experienced Steven Cook in the heart of the defence for the Cherries.
Ake is a no-nonsense defender who often clears the ball away from the danger zone and is equally comfortable with the ball at his feet. His sound technique as a defender, combined with his calmness and confidence while in possession, makes him one of the most promising young centre-backs in the world. As a matter of fact, he has shown a lot of improvement in terms of positioning and awareness since moving to Vitality Stadium last year.
Although he is a centre-back by trade, Ake’s range of passing is comparable to a central defensive midfielder. His presence of mind allows him to play incisive long balls and set up attacks from the back. In fact, the Dutchman averages 42.6 passes per game with a success percentage of 89.7, playing 1.4 successful long balls per game.
Although Bournemouth have a promising centre-back like Jack Simpson, he does not have much exposure at the highest level. Howe has been plotting a bid to land Brentford’s highly-rated centre-back Chris Mepham in January (h/t The Sun) but holding on to Nathan Ake should be of paramount importance for the club.
Losing Nathan Ake in the middle of the season would deal a huge blow to Bournemouth’s chances of capitalizing on their impressive start to the season. The void created by his departure would be too large for the manager to fill since he doesn’t have much experience and quality in his reserves.
That said, Bournemouth should make all efforts to hold on to their prized asset. To that end, slapping a huge price tag would be the ideal way to keep the potential suitors at bay.