Nathan Ake is regarded by many as one of the brightest defensive talents currently plying their trade in the Premier League.
The Bournemouth central defender is said to have caught the eye of Tottenham Hotspur who view Ake as a potential long term replacement for Jan Vertonghen (Daily Star).
The 32-year-old Belgian has just twelve months to run on his contract in North London which is a similar timeframe to his compatriot Toby Alderweireld.
Spurs could now face competition from Manchester City in the race to sign Ake, however the Etihad outfit have the dilemma of having too many foreign players within their ranks (Mirror).
Premier League rules stipulate that each squad contains no more than 17 players who do not fulfil the “Home Grown Player” (HGP) criteria while the rest of the squad, up to a total of 25 players, must be “Home Grown” (Premier League).
City have 18 non-homegrown players in their squad and are attracted to Ake who qualifies as Home Grown, despite being a Dutch international due to the time he spent at the Chelsea academy.
Pep Guardiola’s side are now mulling over whether to launch a £40million offer for 24-year-old which will mean that Spurs will need to make a decision one way or another if they are serious about their interest in him.
Opinion
Ake is certainly a player who can play in the top flight for the next eight or so years, however, I would much prefer to keep Alderweireld and Vertonghen at the club.
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