Report: Defensive ace’s move to Chelsea is off after transfer talks collapse

Nathan Ake will not be joining Chelsea after talks with Manchester City collapsed

According to Manchester Evening News, Manchester City star Nathan Ake will not be joining Chelsea after talks between the two clubs collapsed. Chelsea are said to have ended their interest in the player after failing to meet Man City’s valuation of the defender.

Ake had been linked with a move to Chelsea for quite some time. After several days of speculations and negotiations, Chelsea are said to have walked out after talks hit a dead end. City had been adamant from the start they wanted £50 million for the 27-year-old but Chelsea were not ready to fork out the cash.

The Dutchman joined the Chelsea youth ranks in 2011 and made his way to the senior team. After a series of loans and failure to impress the management at Stamford Bridge, he was sold to Bournemouth where he played for three years before moving to the Etihad in 2020.

Considering the defensive hole at Chelsea currently due to the departures of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen, a reunion with Ake was said to be on the cards. The Dutchman has been down the pecking order at City and Chelsea were willing to help change that.

Ake managed to make only 27 overall appearances for the Cityzens last season as City lifted the Premier League title. This was Ake’s fourth title, having won two with Chelsea and two with City. Tuchel has been in need of defensive reinforcements, and the Dutchman was identified as a possible target.

But now it seems it will not be happening. On the other hand, the Blues are in talks with Napoli for the transfer of Kalidou Koulibaly. A left-footed centre-back, the Senegalese international would be a natural replacement for Rudiger on the left side of the back three.

It will come as a blow to Tuchel for missing out on Ake. The German tactician is said to be considering signing three centre-backs this summer. It will be interesting to see who he identifies as an alternate after missing out on Ake.

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The Blue’s fans will hope that the defensive department is sorted out before the season starts. The young players in the pre-season squad have a chance to showcase their talent and impress the coach, and maybe change Tuchel’s mind in the process to promote youth players rather than buy one.