Tottenham have been on the hunt for a long-term replacement for Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld whose contracts expire in 2020. One player the Lilywhites could be considering to offset the potential loss is Nathan Ake – a centre-back Tottenham have been linked with this summer.
Leicester City look set to lose Harry Maguire to Manchester United before the transfer window shuts and have been tipped to sign Ake in his stead. The 24-year-old is highly-rated and has made 91 appearances in all competitions since joining Bournemouth from Chelsea in 2017.
Ake has made 10 appearances for the Netherlands national team and could be destined for a big-money move in the future given Manchester City are among the clubs that have been linked with his signature. The £40k-per-week man would improve the squads at both Tottenham and Leicester, but he won’t come cheap.
Ake would certainly improve Tottenham and Leicester’s squad, but Bournemouth may not accept a bid lower than £40m this summer. For a player that boasts 88 aerial duels won (55%), 230 clearances, 62 blocked passes/crosses/shots and averages a tackle (66) or interception (32) every 35 minutes, he may be worth the money.
If Leicester sell Maguire for a reported £80m, they will be able to meet Ake’s asking price. Tottenham were linked with a £27.3m deal for William Saliba before Arsenal signed him, so there are funds available for the right centre-back.
Stats from Transfermarkt.
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