Man City have £41m Ake bid accepted

Nathan Ake joined Bournemouth for a club-record £20m fee in 2017

Manchester City have had a £41m offer for defender Nathan Ake accepted by Bournemouth.

Talks between the clubs over the Netherlands centre-back had begun before the end of the Premier League season, but confirmation of Bournemouth’s relegation to the Championship on Sunday all but confirmed that the 25-year-old would depart this summer.

Ake joined Bournemouth from Chelsea for a club-record fee of £20m in 2017 and had been linked with a return to Stamford Bridge, but City appear to be in pole position to sign the defender.

City have been linked with several centre-backs since the departure of Vincent Kompany at the end of the 2018-19 season. They missed out to rivals United on Harry Maguire last summer and have consistently been linked with Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly.

Ake has scored 11 goals in 121 appearances for Bournemouth

Ake played 29 times in the Premier League this season for Bournemouth as Eddie Howe’s side were relegated, finishing a point from safety in 18th place.

The fee, which would be a club-record sale for Bournemouth, would see them receive £40m up front, with a further £1m to come in add-ons.

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Sky Sports News’ Kaveh Solhekol says Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho is Manchester United’s top transfer target, but the valuation is holding up a potential deal.

Bournemouth could lose several key players following their relegation, with Callum Wilson and David Brooks also attracting attention from Premier League sides.

City appear to be attempting to get their business done early in a transfer window that was delayed because of the coronavirus pandemic, with the club close to agreeing a deal for Valencia winger Ferran Torres.

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