Bournemouth saw a late move for Chelsea defender Nathan Ake rejected by the Premier League leaders, Cherries boss Eddie Howe told reporters.

What’s the word?

After spending a successful half-season on-loan with Bournemouth, the Cherries suffered a huge blow at the start of the January transfer window when Antonio Conte decided to recall the youngster and bring the defender back to Chelsea.

On Deadline Day, rumours circulated that Bournemouth had lodged a staggering £18m move for the young defender but Eddie Howe has denied that was the case, although he did admit talks were held with Chelsea to see if a deal could be completed.

With first-team football limited at Chelsea, Bournemouth will have thought they had a chance to land his services but a deal could not be finalised, leaving the Cherries empty-handed and potentially struggling to fill the void Ake has left.

What was said?

Speaking to reporters after Tuesday’s 2-0 defeat to Crystal Palace, Eddie Howe said:

“We’ve had discussions with Chelsea. The bid that was reported in the media is miles off the mark, but we’ve inquired about the opportunity to bring him back here, either on loan or permanently, and it was declined.”

Right move from Chelsea?

Whether Nathan Ake gets game-time at Stamford Bridge between now and the end of the season but the young defender deserves a chance to impress, especially with John Terry and Gary Cahill both the wrong side of 30.

With a decent impression, Ake could enter next season as a potential starter for Chelsea, alongside Kurt Zouma and David Luiz, but continued links with Southampton’s Virgil Van Dijk could see the Blues bolster their forward line and provide Ake with additional competition in the squad.

Should that occur, Ake may consider an exit to a side where he’s guaranteed more regular football but moving in January would have been a tad premature.

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