Chelsea target Nathan Ake will stay at Manchester City, as per The Athletic.
The Blues wanted to re-sign the 27-year-old in this transfer window and were hopeful of getting a deal over the line.
However, the defender is now set to remain at the Etihad Stadium after the Citizens decided they don’t want to sell him.
It is said that the English champions wanted around £45 million (as per The Guardian) to let him leave but Thomas Tuchel’s side were not willing to meet that valuation.
Not worth £45m
Chelsea are looking to strengthen their defensive ranks this summer, with Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen leaving Stamford Bridge.
Rudiger has joined Real Madrid while Barcelona have secured the services of Christensen. Meanwhile, Cesar Azpilicueta is also said to be on the radar of the Catalans.
The west London club have been linked with several defenders so far, including Ake, Presnel Kimpembe and Kalidou Koulibaly.
They are said to be closing in on Napoli’s experienced defender while they are also engaged in negotiations with Paris Saint-Germain over a move for Kimpembe.
The Blues were also keen on Ake but chose not to splash £45m to secure his services.
While there is no doubt that the Netherlands international is full of potential, Chelsea have made the right decision not to fork out such a big sum on him.
Ake started his senior career at the Pensioners but joined Bournemouth due to a lack of playing minutes at Stamford Bridge.
He was an important squad member at the Vitality Stadium, earning 120 appearances across all competitions. However, City signed him in a £41m deal in 2020 after the Cherries suffered relegation.
Despite signing him for such a huge fee, he mostly remained on the fringes of the squad.
Pep Guardiola barely played him, with only 40 appearances to his name during the previous two years at the Etihad.
To be fair, he didn’t get a lot of opportunities to prove his skills under Guardiola. However, his performances on the training pitch were also not so impressive to force the Spaniard’s hand.
The former Bournemouth player isn’t worth £45m, and Chelsea have made the right decision.
