Chelsea ‘could’ replace departed defender with 27-year-old PL ace

Transfer News: Chelsea could bring back Nathan Ake as a potential Antonio Rudiger replacement

Nathan Ake is on Chelsea’s shortlist and could come back to the club as a potential replacement for Antonio Rudiger, according to The Guardian. The Dutchman left the Blues in 2017 as he moved to Bournemouth.

Thomas Tuchel is in dire need to fix his defence following the departure of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen. They have been linked with Jules Kounde, but there still seems to be little progress on that front.

And now it looks like Tuchel has turned his attention to a former Blues player. Ake joined the Chelsea academy in 2011 and was promoted to the senior team two years later. After a series of loan spells, he made a permanent move to Bournemouth.

In 2020, he made a big-money move to Manchester City, signing for the Cityzens for £40million. But he failed to break into the team and started games mainly from the bench.

A reunion on the cards?

During his four years at Chelsea, he could muster up only seven appearances for them in the League. But now that may not be the case. Tuchel needs defensive reinforcements and Ake could be one of them.

A left-footed centre-back, he could be a natural replacement for Rudiger’s left-side centre-back position. Tuchel is in dire need to fix his defence with pre-season around the corner, and Ake could be a fit for the team.

The Dutchman has huge Premier League experience and has also played at the highest level of the game. These factors are good enough for Tuchel to make a move for him. Ake made a total of 27 appearances for City in all competitions and won the Premier League with them last season.

It would be beneficial for the player to make a move too as he would most likely get more playing time under Tuchel and he will also be playing in a familiar environment. Having been in London before, he may not take a lot of time to get adjusted to the surroundings.

The 27-year-old could also potentially pair up with his international team-mate Matthijs de Ligt, as Chelsea continue to be linked with him. The Dutch chemistry at the back for the Blues could be a sight to see.

More Chelsea News

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Chelsea are yet to make a signing this summer. It would be sensible to make moves now, as new players might need some time to adjust and also Tuchel could use them in pre-season to assess his options.