Ake makes £20m club record move to Bournemouth

As has been expected for some weeks, Nathan Ake has completed a club record £20million move from Chelsea to Bournemouth.

The 22-year-old spent the first half of last season on loan at the Cherries, making a total of 12 appearances and finding the net three times. Eddie Howe was rebuffed in an attempt to take him on a permanent deal in the January transfer window, but he has bided his time and has now landed the defender on a long-term deal for a club record £20million.

“I am delighted that we have completed the signing of Nathan,” Howe told the official club website. “He is someone we know all about, having had a very successful loan spell here. Nathan is an outstanding young player with a fantastic attitude and a great desire to learn and develop. He has a very bright future ahead of him and I’m very pleased to say that future is here.”

When Ake returned to Stamford Bridge in January he played just five times as the Blues won the Premier League and reached the FA Cup final, but at the end of the campaign he earned his first two international caps for Holland. He now wants to play regular first team football and cement his place for club and country, and he’s sure being at Dean Court will hope him find both.

“Chelsea is a great club and I learned so much there but this is a new step and the right place for me to develop even more,” Ake told the official club website.” The fans haven’t seen the best of me yet. I always set the bar high so I know there are a lot of things I still have to work on. With the help of the manager here I know I can keep improving and become a better player.”

Ake becomes the third big signing for Bournemouth this summer, as they look to push on and really establish themselves as a mainstay in the Premier League after last season’s ninth-place finish. Taking the same journey as Ake from Stamford Bridge to Dean Court is goalkeeper Asmir Begovic, who has joined for £10million, and striker Jermain Defoe has signed after leaving Sunderland.

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