Report: Thomas Tuchel really wants to sign 27-year-old defender for Chelsea and partner him with De Ligt

Reports have suggested Thomas Tuchel would ideally like to pair Nathan Ake with Matthijs de Ligt at the back next season.

According to The Mail Plus, the Man City man would be open to a return to Stamford Bridge if the Blues can strike a deal for the homegrown star.

Ake previously left the club in 2017, after struggling to break into the first team despite showing glimpses under Antonio Conte.

His move to Premier League outfit Bournemouth saw him develop into a quality centre-back, with Manchester City paying £41m for the Netherlands international to join the club.

Now though, he struggles again to nail down first team football, reportedly allowing him a free pass to leave the Etihad this summer.

Chelsea have seemingly made a move for the 27-year-old, with The Mail Plus reporting Tuchel sees the City man as part of his ideal defence next season.

With Ake’s strengths lying on the left of defence, the signing would be perfect for the Blues, with the need to replace Antonio Rudiger becoming desperate.

The City man would partner fellow countryman De Ligt in the German’s preferred defensive pairing going forward, with rumours of either Timo Werner or Christian Pulisic being sacrificed to get the deal done.

The former Ajax captain is speculated to be unhappy at Juventus, handing in a transfer request as the two parties were unable to agree on a new contract.

The report suggests the two would occupy a back two, potentially hinting at a new formation next season to accommodate potential new attackers Raphinha and Raheem Sterling.

While it’s not obvious what will happen to Thiago Silva, Chelsea would do well to begin to rely on the Brazilian less going forward, with the 37-year-old approaching the final moments of his illustrious career.

Jack is a football journalist who graduated from the University of Derby. He has freelanced for The Athletic and The Sun. Jack has reported live from Premier League and Championship grounds, whilst also being published in the Non League Paper.