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Why Chelsea and Man Utd didn’t sign Man City new boy Nathan Ake


Nathan Ake signed a five-year deal with City (Picture: Getty)

Manchester United and Chelsea decided against signing Manchester City new boy Nathan Ake due to doubts about the Dutchman’s lack of physicality.

The 25-year-old completed a £41million move to the Etihad on Wednesday, signing a five-year deal with City.

Pep Guardiola’s side moved quickly to sign Ake following Bournemouth’s relegation and they bid £41m as a clause in Ake’s contract allowed former club Chelsea to re-sign him for a fee of £40m.

Chelsea had a 72-hour window to match City’s bid but declined against the option of doing so due to the Blues’ doubts about the Dutchman’s height and strength, according to the Athletic.

Ake was Bournemouth captain (Picture: Getty)

Frank Lampard is keen to sign a centre-back this term after his side conceded 54 goals in the Premier League but the club were not convinced that Ake was the right choice as they feel he is not strong enough in the air.

Likewise, United had concerns about Ake’s physicality and felt that he did not have a big enough impact on Bournemouth’s leaky defence in recent years.

United did hold talks with Ake but ultimately decided that a player of Ake’s calibre was not their priority this summer.

Solskjaer wants a paid centre-back partner for Harry Maguire that will enable him to play a higher line next term and to safeguard the defence in a manner that Virgil van Dijk does for Liverpool, which affords the full-backs to push forward at will.

City, of course, will be unpreturbed as it gave them a clear race at the former Chelsea ace.

Guardiola has been angered by the club’s inactivity in the market in recent seasons, allowing the likes of Jorginho and Maguire to join Chelsea and United respectively.

But Ake becomes the club’s scond signing of the summer, joining Ferran Torres from Valencia.

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