Chelsea have reportedly cooled their interest in Bournemouth defender Nathan Ake, according to the Evening Standard.
However, the news hasn’t gone down well with a section of Blues supporters.
The report claims that Chelsea have the option to activate a £40 million buy-back clause before the end of the month, but Frank Lampard has his doubts over whether the 24-year-old can turn out in his high defensive line.
The latest news will be welcomed by both Arsenal and Tottenham.
Reports from The Telegraph earlier his month claimed that the two North London rivals are interested in the Netherlands international, so the latest update regarding Chelsea’s stance will come as a boost to both Mikel Arteta and Jose Mourinho.
Chelsea blogger Simon Phillips shared the Standard’s update on Ake on social media, and these Blues fans were quick to react to share their frustation.
Twitter: @SiPhillipsSport Bad decision not buying Ake (@MrAnthonyTad)
Twitter: @SiPhillipsSport Big mistake on Frank’s part (@RagingPhoneix)
Twitter: @SiPhillipsSport Ake is our best bargain… sign him now plssss
(@TizzYthaSoN)
Twitter: @SiPhillipsSport I feel this is a mistake. He’ll go to another top 6 team and we’ll regret missing out (@ImTheDuDe86)
Twitter: @SiPhillipsSport Far better than Zouma (@imbluefc)
Read Chelsea verdict
Chelsea have conceded 29 goals in the league this season, more than any other side in the top seven, so we can understand why Lampard is being cautious before committing to a defensive deal.
However, despite Ake being a regular in a struggling Bournemouth side under Eddie Howe, we feel that personally, his performances have been fairly solid, so we’re with these Blues fans in believing that missing out on the Dutchman would be a mistake.
Ake has an impressive 89.1% pass success percentage, better than Fikayo Tomori‘s 87.3% and Kurt Zouma‘s 86.9%, as per Whoscored.com.
The Bournemouth man also averages more clearances and blocks while also being dribbled past the least out of the three.
A £40 million move, in our eyes, would prove to be an excellent piece of business further down the line, despite Lampard’s apparent concerns.
Not only would Chelsea be missing out on an experienced Premier League defender, but they’d also be giving their rivals the chance to strengthen theirs, so we feel as if the club need to reconsider their stance on Ake before the end of the window.
