An insight into the contingency plans of Premier League giants Chelsea, after missing out on the signing of Nathan Ake, has been provided on Friday.
The last couple of weeks, of course, have seen the transfer team at Stamford Bridge step up efforts to reinforce the club’s backline in a major way.
On the back of the free agent departures of both Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger, the Blues have been forced into a major reshuffle, with no fewer than three additions to the heart of the club’s defence now understood to be on the agenda.
With a deal for Napoli standout Kalidou Koulibaly in the bag, the Blues, in turn, had since shifted their focus to Manchester City star Nathan Ake.
The Dutchman, of course once a member of the youth setup in west London, was widely expected to seal a £45 million return to the English capital over the course of the coming week, to battle it out for a starting berth.
It therefore came as a major surprise when, this morning, word was forthcoming that Ake was instead primed to stay put, owing to a ‘mutual decision’ made by all of the defender, Chelsea and City.
? Nathan Ake staying at Manchester City. Chelsea showed a strong interest but #MCFC would only sell if valuation met. That hasn’t happened & mutual decision taken for 27yo Dutch defender to remain & play key part in Pep Guardiola plans @TheAthleticUK #CFC https://t.co/Ehz9VbBNpg
— David Ornstein (@David_Ornstein) July 15, 2022
So, where do the powers that be at Stamford Bridge go from here?
Well, as alluded to above, an insight into precisely that has since been provided.
The info comes courtesy of the reliable Simon Phillips, who has revealed that Chelsea have turned their ‘full focus’ towards closing a deal for Paris Saint-Germain star Presnel Kimpembe.
Not only that, but, significantly, it is also suggested that long-time target Jules Kounde is another name to keep a close eye on.
Told Chelsea didn’t want to match the fee for Manchester City, so ‘full focus’ turned to Presnel Kimpembe. My source reiterated to look out for Jules Kounde.
— Simon Phillips (@siphillipssport) July 15, 2022
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