Chelsea should consider exercising their buy-back clause for Nathan Ake
According to The Telegraph, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur will have to wait and see whether Chelsea show any interest in buying back Bournemouth defender Nathan Ake.
Chelsea had included a buy-back clause when they sold their highly-rated academy talent to Bournemouth back in 2017, which would allow the Blues to sign him for a fee of £40million in the future.
However, there has been no official news that Chelsea are interested in taking him back to Stamford Bridge and any move to re-sign him would have to be agreed by the player (h/t Telegraph).
Nathan Ake made only seven league appearances for the Blues after joining the club as a 16-year-old back in 2011 and spent time on loan at several other clubs including Reading and Watford. He spent time on loan with the Cherries as well but the club eventually signed him permanently.
Chelsea have made a blistering start to their Premier League campaign under new manager Maurizio Sarri and the Blues are currently tied on points with Manchester City and Liverpool atop the standings. In fact, they are yet to be beaten across all competitions this season.
Although the Blues looked a bit shaky at the back in the first few games, David Luiz and Antonio Rudiger have grown in confidence and the duo has developed a healthy partnership in the heart of the defence. Their consistent performances have forced the manager to relegate the experienced Gary Cahill and young Andreas Christensen to bench duty.
However, Chelsea are yet to decide on the future of David Luiz, who is already 31 and it will be interesting to see whether the club offers him a new deal. Given that the Brazilian has adapted well to Sarri’s style of play, the Blues might be tempted to offer him an extension to his current contract.
Rudiger and Luiz are the two first-choice centre-backs for Sarri but the manager must make a decision over the futures of Christensen and Cahill. Neither of them is happy about their current role at the club and Cahill has spoken out about seeking greener pastures if he continues to struggle for regular minutes (h/t Daily Mail).
As things stand, the Chelsea might face a crisis at the back if either Rudiger or Luiz is sidelined due an injury and Cahill forces a move away from Stamford Bridge. Hence, it would be the perfect time for the club to exercise their buy-back clause on Nathan Ake, who has established himself as a hot property in the Premier League.
Ake has put in some solid performances for the Cherries this season, something that should tempt the Blues to buy him back. He is still 23 and could be the perfect long-term servant for the club.
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The Dutchman has stood tall and powerful at the back and hasn’t made any significant mistakes this season. He seems to have improved a lot in terms of composure and tackling and the fact that he is a ball-playing centre-back should make him a perfect fit for Sarri’s system.
Ake has made significant leaps towards fulfilling his potential as a defender. He will only get better with time and failing to re-sign him might return to haunt the Blues in the years to come.
