Chelsea learn Man City's stance on selling Nathan Ake
Cameron Smith
- 30 Jun 2022 18:13 BST
- 3 min read
Chelsea have learned that Manchester City will sell Nathan Ake this summer, but only if they have brought in a replacement beforehand.
Ake, 27, came through the youth system at Chelsea after arriving from Feyenoord as a 16-year-old, and made 17 appearances for the senior side before being sold to Bournemouth in 2017 after a one-year loan deal the season prior.
The Dutch international has now been heavily linked with a return to Stamford Bridge as new owner Todd Boehly looks to strengthen the squad available to Thomas Tuchel.
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Tuchel, who took over from club legend Frank Lampard in January 2021, has lost both Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen following the expiration of their contracts this summer, leaving him with just four senior centre-backs.
As a result, Chelsea have been linked with multiple different defenders since the window opened, including Napoli's Kalidou Koulibaly and RB Leipzig's Josko Gvardiol.
However, the Telegraph have now reported that Chelsea are exploring the idea of bringing Ake back to Stamford Bridge in a double swoop with Raheem Sterling.
Sterling is in advanced talks with Chelsea over a transfer that will see him move within the Premier League's 'big-six' clubs for the second time in his career.
The Englishman is expected to accompany Leeds star Raphinha in bolstering the Chelsea attack this summer.
While Sterling is a key target for Chelsea, his current Man City team-mate Ake is also reportedly high on their priority list.
What are Man City's demands?
Manchester Evening News have reported that Chelsea will need to fork out at least £50 million (€58m) to sign Ake, and any move will rely on Man City finding an adequate replacement for the versatile Dutchman.
As well as playing centre-back, Ake also offers cover at left-back, although if Guardiola's side are able to sign Brighton's Marc Cucurella, the need for Ake to fill in as a full-back will lessen significantly. Either way, Chelsea will need to pay a large sum to re-sign Ake and any transfer will depend on City identifying a replacement.
