Chelsea eye move to re-sign academy graduate in £40m deal

Chelsea manager Frank Lampard is interested in bringing Bournemouth centre-back Nathan Ake back to Stamford Bridge, claims The Daily Telegraph.

The Blues sold David Luiz to London rivals Arsenal on deadline day but could not replace the Brazilian due to a FIFA-imposed transfer ban.

Bournemouth slapped a £75m price tag on Ake’s head at the end of the transfer window amid late interest from Leicester.

The Foxes were on the market for a new centre-back after selling Harry Maguire to Manchester United in a world-record deal for a defender worth £80m.

Brendan Rodgers’ interest in Ake proved short-lived due to Bournemouth’s staggering demands but Chelsea can sign the Netherlands international for a fraction of the price.

Chelsea included a buy-back option in Ake’s permanent transfer to Bournemouth in the summer of 2017 and can sign the 24-year-old for £40m.

The Premier League giants are currently unable to sign new players until next summer but have appealed their ban to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and hope to get the ban lifted in January.

Ake has only failed to start one Premier League game in two years for Bournemouth and is regarded as one of the best defenders outside the top-six clubs.

In fact, Ake has featured in more minutes than any other outfielder in the Premier League since August 2017 (6765).