Forget Alderweireld – Tottenham’s £40m pursuit of this 24-year-old wall would take their defence to newer heights

Spurs Opinion: Nathan Ake could be the perfect alternative to Toby Alderweireld

According to The Sun, Spurs are weighing up a £40million bid for Bournemouth centre-back Nathan Ake, as manager Mauricio Pochettino looks to bolster his squad ahead of the upcoming season.

The Lilywites haven’t signed a single new player for more than a year and chairman and the paymasters at the club are expected to loosen their purse strings this time around in a bid to add more depth and quality to the ranks.

Nathan Ake is not the only Cherries player to be linked with a move to Spurs, though, with The Sun claiming that midfielder David Brooks and centre-forward Callum Wilson are also very much on Pochettino’s recruitment list for the summer.

The 24-year-old, who joined Bournemouth permanently back in the summer of 2017 for £20 million on the back of a successful loan spell from Chelsea, has established himself as one of Eddie Howe’s most trusted players.

The Dutchman has carved out a reputation for himself as one of the best young centre-backs in the Premier League and his consistently impressive performances have not gone unnoticed.

Ake was an ever-present at the heart of the defence for Bournemouth this past season, as the Cherries finished a disappointing 14th in the Premier League. The south coast finished the campaign with one of the worst defensive records in the top-flight, having shipped as many as 71 goals, but the 24-year-old was one of the shining lights of a backline that showed signs of creaking and crumbling under pressure numerous times.

A youth product of Chelsea, Ake spent almost the entire developmental phase of his career at his boyhood club but he was forced to spend time away on loan at Watford and Reading due to lack of first-team opportunities. Ake made only 17 competitive appearances for Chelsea over the source of six years at Stamford Bridge before finally settling down at Bournemouth, and his stocks have been on the rise ever since.

Standing at 5ft. 11 inches with a well-built frame, Ake is not particularly tall for a centre-back but he still manages to win a lot of aerial balls, thanks to his agility and upper body strength. A fast, agile and commanding presence at the back, Ake catches the eye with his calmness and composure in possession and ball-playing abilities, which not only allows him to play the ball out from the back with ease but also switch the play and set up attacks with precise long-balls.

An aggressive defender by nature, Ake likes to come off his line to challenge the attackers but he knows how to balance that with his composure and concentration. A good reader of the game at the back, the Dutchman combines his physicality with his positional sense to cut out attacks with crucial tackles and interceptions, whilst also showing great levels of commitment to keep out goal-bound shots with last-ditch blocks.

The 24-year-old often stays on his feet and waits for the opposition to get inside the box, which allows him to clear the ball away to safety without much fuss. Ake averaged 2.3 aerial duels, 6.1 clearances and 1.7 tackles per game in the Premier League for Bournemouth this past season, figures which throw light on his well-rounded attributes as a centre-back.

To put things into perspective, it is not difficult to see why the acquisition of Nathan Ake could prove to be a massive coup for Spurs. The Lilywhites are at risk of losing the services of long-standing centre-back Toby Alderweireld this summer, with The Sun claiming that Man United are keen to trigger the Belgian’s £25 million release clause.

The potential departure of Alderweireld would leave Pochettino short of cover at centre-back and that is exactly why Ake could be a good long-term, as well as, a short-term investment. Jan Vertonghen,32, is nearing the latter stages of his career and Spurs have every reason to look at Ake as someone who could possibly solve their defensive problems for years to come.

The North Londoners have splashed handsome amounts on Davinson Sanchez and Juan Foyth in recent times in a bid to add more depth to their backline but neither of them has been convincing enough, meaning that it would be a good idea for Pochettino to bring in Ake to increase competition for places at the back.

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The 10-cap Dutch international is just about to enter his prime years as a centre-back and, at 24, there is still plenty of time left for him to make improvements to his game. Spurs have been unsuccessful in their pursuit of silverware in recent years and investing in a highly-rated talent like Ake should do them a world of good in the times to follow.