Bournemouth failed with staggering £18m bid for Chelsea youngster

Bournemouth failed with a dramatic late swoop to re-sign Chelsea defender Nathan Ake on the final day of the January transfer window, reports The London Evening Standard.

Ake, 21, spent the first six months of the season on loan at Bournemouth before making a real impact in the team after forcing his way into Eddie Howe’s thoughts at the start of November.

His performances were so impressive that it even led Chelsea manager Antonio Conte to change his mind on the versatile defender and recall the Dutchman from his time at Bournemouth midway through January.

Ake will now provide back-up to Chelsea’s current defensive options but Conte’s side were forced to reject a staggering £18m offer from Bournemouth on the final day of the January transfer window as the Cherries looked to land the talented youngster on a permanent basis.

Bournemouth have failed to win any of their subsequent four fixtures since Ake returned to Stamford Bridge and look to be struggling without their star performer. In fact, Ake finished his time on the south coast as Bournemouth’s highest rated player (7.20) having also weighed in with three goals from defence.

For more stats on Nathan Ake, click here to visit his WhoScored player page