West Ham United are reportedly keen on Chelsea defender Nathan Ake.
According to The Telegraph, West Ham United are keen on Chelsea defender Nathan Ake – but fresh reports suggest they may be running out of time if they want to sign him.
Ake, 22, joined Chelsea from Feyenoord back in 2011, and he has been making his way up through the ranks at Stamford Bridge ever since.
Chelsea’s Nathan Ake
The Dutch international has only made 17 first-team appearances for Chelsea though, and has been farmed out on loan to the likes of Reading, Watford and, most recently, Bournemouth.
The Telegraph now report that Chelsea may sell Ake to help fund a move for Southampton’s Virgil van Dijk, with Bournemouth, Southampton and even West Ham United keen.
However, with Sky Sports reporting that Bournemouth are confident of completing a deal worth at least £20million for Ake, meaning West Ham will have to move quickly if they want to land the Dutchman.
If Hammers boss Slaven Bilic sticks with a three-man back line in a 3-4-2-1 system, then Ake would be ideal as the left-sided centre back in that setup, with the added versatility of being able to play at left wing back.
Nathan Ake celebrates scoring for Bournemouth
Having the quicker pairing of Winston Reid and Ake either side of veteran Jose Fonte could give West Ham superb balance at the back, with Ake able to bring the ball out from the back and show off his technical ability.
West Ham may have concerns about paying at least £20million for Ake, but he showed just how good he can be during his loan spell with Bournemouth last season, and if Bilic wants to boost his back line with a young, athletic player with huge potential, then he should consider submitting a late bid for Ake.
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