Manchester City close to completing Nathan Ake signing

PA

Manchester City are closing in on the signing of Bournemouth defender Nathan Ake.

City agreed a £40million fee, rising to a potential £41million, with the relegated Cherries for the 25-year-old Holland international last week.

The PA news agency understands the deal is now close to completion and could be announced in the coming days.

Ake has impressed for Bournemouth
Ake has impressed for Bournemouth

There have been reports former Chelsea centre-back Ake has arrived in Manchester after a holiday to undergo a medical and agree personal terms.

Ake would become City’s second signing of the delayed summer transfer window after landing Spain Under-21s winger Ferran Torres from Valencia.

Ake would bolster manager Pep Guardiola’s options in what has been a problem position in central defence since the departure of former captain Vincent Kompany last summer.

City have been short of defensive options since the departure of Vincent Kompany
City have been short of defensive options since the departure of Vincent Kompany

With Aymeric Laporte missing five months of the current season through injury and Guardiola appearing to lose faith in a John Stones-Nicolas Otamendi partnership, midfielder Fernandinho often played as a makeshift centre-back.

Ake was a youth player at Chelsea and had loan spells at Reading, Watford and Bournemouth before joining the Cherries permanently for £20m in 2017. Chelsea reportedly had a buy-back option but chose not to exercise it.

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