When Arsenal sat top of the Premier League on Christmas Day you could be forgiven for thinking Mikel Arteta and Co didn't need to act swiftly in the transfer window.

Everything was going according to plan in their bid to win the title but in the space of a few crippling weeks, their chances of doing just that has seeped away.

The Gunners have lost three games in a row, dumping them out of the FA Cup and pushing them down to fourth spot in the table.

A large reason has been down to the form of their attackers with just one goal being scored over those three encounters from a total of 61 attempts at goal.

Arsenal's striker targets

A striker, you'd think, would be the order of the day. Alas, their efforts to sign one are proving fruitless so far, largely due to the seismic price tags being placed on their targets.

Ivan Toney has been linked regularly this winter with an £80m valuation on his head. However, after spending so much in the summer, notably £105m on Declan Rice and £65m on Kai Havertz, financial fair play is restricting their ability to match such a price.

Arsenal set to go all in to sign £80m "monster" over Karim Benzema

The 27-year-old could be a smarter long-term bet than the Frenchman.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Jan 18, 2024

Likewise, Victor Osimhen will cost a fair whack, potentially in the region of £120m if he is to leave Napoli at some point this year.

So, how could Arsenal afford these types of players? Well, cashing in on valuable assets could be one way. Step forward Aaron Ramsdale, a man signed for £30m and now allegedly worth in the region of £51m, as per CIES Football Observatory.

Ray Parlour thinks Ramsdale "doesn't need to leave"

As the weeks go by in January it feels as though the goalkeeper will be staying at Arsenal for the time being. That's despite loan links to Newcastle and chatter of a permanent move to Chelsea across various reaches of the media.

However, Ray Parlour, talking to Football FanCast on behalf of NetBet Betting thinks he could stay and reevaluate his position in the summer. Crucially, he also thinks David Raya isn't an upgrade on the Englishman.

Discussing the goalkeeper situation at the moment, the Romford Pele commented:

"No, I don’t think he [Raya] is an upgrade. For Mikel, he has two top goalkeepers and this is great for Arsenal."

Raya vs Ramsdale: 2023/24 PL Season
Stat (per 90)	Raya	Ramsdale
Saves	1.47	1.20
Goals against	1.07	0.80
Save percentage	61.5%	60%
Crosses stopped	1.40	0.60
Actions outside the area	1.73	1.80
Pass success	77%	75%
Stats via FBRef.

Subsequently discussing the place of Raya's deputy for the time being, Parlour continued: "Ramsdale was great against Liverpool and looked solid and was unlucky to be on the losing side. He seemed to have his confidence back and this bodes well for the rest of the season.

"Ramsdale will know, I believe that he doesn’t need to leave the club to be in the Euros squad for England and I don’t think he needs to leave the club in January. Wait until the summer, see how many games he plays between now and then and he can asses after that."

So, does he really need to leave? Ramsdale did indeed display against Liverpool that he may well be back to his best. He made a brilliant save down low in the second half to keep the Anfield outfit at bay, only for it to be in vain as Arsenal exited the FA Cup in the third round.

Barcelona are reportedly focused on signing VFB Stuttgart's Angelo Stiller but face stiff competition for the former Bayern Munich midfielder.

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Flick wants to strengthen his midfieldHas urged the club to sign StillerStuttgart might want €25 million for playerWHAT HAPPENED?

According tothe Catalan giants are keen to recruit the 23-year-old following his stellar performances in the previous campaign. Barcelona's need for a new No.6 has become more urgent following the departure of Sergio Busquets, who left a significant void in the Blaugrana's midfield.

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Currently under contract with Stuttgart until 2027, Stiller does not have an exit clause, which means any potential transfer would require negotiations with the club. It is believed that Stuttgart are demanding around €25 million (£21m/$27m) for the player who has garnered interest from several Bundesliga clubs as well. The connection between Barcelona manager, Hansi Flick, and Stiller goes beyond professional admiration as they share the same agent, Pini Zahavi, which could help facilitate negotiations.

DID YOU KNOW?

Born in Munich, Stiller started his football career at TSV Milbertshofen before joining Bayern youth academy in 2010. Despite his potential, Stiller struggled to secure a place in the first-team squad and eventually moved to Hoffenheim in 2021.

His spell there lasted only two years, but it was at VfB Stuttgart where Stiller truly found his footing. The 23-year-old became a central figure in midfield, amassing nearly 3,000 minutes of game time across 36 appearances in all competitions during the 2023/24 season while contributing one goal and six assists.

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(C)Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?

Stiller's potential move to Barcelona would mark a significant step in his career, providing him with an opportunity to compete at the highest level in one of the world's most prestigious football clubs. With several sides interested in the midfielder, the coming weeks will be crucial in determining Stiller's future.

Junior Firpo, in the absence of other left-backs, has stepped up to the mark for Daniel Farke's Leeds United in recent games after his Whites career looked in danger of completely fizzling out at one point.

Firpo has three assists from three after being reinstated into the first team ranks in West Yorkshire, starring against Birmingham City on New Year's Day to show to everyone at Elland Road that he won't just exit the Championship club with a whimper – notching up two assists in a convincing 3-0 home win.

Yet, despite this new lease of life coursing through Firpo's veins encouraging the Leeds fanbase that once got on his back to reevaluate their preconceptions, one transfer development coming out of the Whites could see the ex-Barcelona man's improved game time cut once again.

Leeds looking for a left-back

Linked with the likes of Conor Roberts, Neco Williams and even Ben Davies recently, as per The Athletic it's obvious the problem area Leeds are trying to add depth to this January.

Another name that keeps popping up is West Ham United defender Ben Johnson, who could give Leeds a versatile and adaptable figure that can play anywhere across the defence.

Confirmed to have interest in the Hammers man by Phil Hay, whilst writing for the Athletic this Wednesday, the defender's competence at playing left-back across his time at the London Stadium could have Firpo worrying about his newly found first-team spot.

In detail, Hay wrote: "Johnson is also on the list. The 23-year-old has seen relatively few minutes this season, is on course to be out of contract in the summer and has rejected offers of an extension to his current deal, but Leeds would favour a loan agreement in this window. "

Leeds could land "fantastic" upgrade on Firpo & Spence after Phil Hay reveal

Leeds United could upgrade their defence significantly with this signing, slotting him in alongside an in-form Joe Rodon.

ByKelan Sarson Jan 17, 2024

With TEAMtalk reporting last month that Firpo was talking to former club Real Betis over a possible move back to Spain – before his reintroduction into the starting XI by Farke – this news involving Johnson could see the 27-year-old itch for a move away again.

How Ben Johnson compares to Junior Firpo

Johnson's potential arrival to Elland Road would see Leeds opt for a no-thrills player over the slaloming and exciting nature of Firpo, but a dependable presence who very rarely lets anyone down.

Johnson has come into David Moyes' side when needed without causing any disruption to harmony present at the London Stadium, making 57 Premier League appearances for the Londoners as a useful if unflashy player.

The West Ham number two has arguably excelled playing down the left-hand side when called into action, registering two assists from 22 appearances filling in there.

Described as being a "wonderful professional" by ex-Hammers first team coach Stuart Pearce for his acceptance at being a utility player, he could well be the sort of presence Farke fancies during a promotion push.

Firpo, in stark contrast, struggled when Leeds were in the top-flight – only helping the Whites keep one clean sheet from the 19 times he featured during their disastrous relegation season down to the second tier.

On top of that, the 27-year-old would only help himself to a singular assist from those games with a dire 6.55 Sofascore rating averaged over the pitiful campaign.

With the likes of Archie Gray and Joe Rodon comfortable on the ball and progressing up the field, Johnson's addition could also give the Whites a dogged defender who is unafraid to do the dirty work away from beginning attacking moves.

The 23-year-old trumps Firpo when it comes to undergoing his basic defensive duties according to FBRef, bettering the revitalised Leeds defender in aerials won with Johnson winning 1.48 per 90 minutes over the last year compared to Firpo's 1.01.

Yet, Johnson won't hesitate in helping his team push further up the field if needed with the fringe Hammers defender bettering Firpo surprisingly in progressive carries with 1.97 managed to Firpo's lesser 1.44.

Former West Ham player Frank McAvennie commented on the potential of this deal with Football Insider, stating that the Whites would be gaining a "quality" player who could help steer the West Yorkshire titans to a pivotal promotion.

Proving himself to be an all-rounder at the London Stadium, Farke should go all in for the services of the wantaway 23-year-old with Firpo prone to blowing hot and cold across his topsy-turvy Leeds career to date.

Jose Mourinho wants to make Tottenham midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg his first signing at Fenerbahce as the Portuguese seeks a reunion in Turkey.

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• Mourinho wants Hojbjerg
• 61-year-old unveiled as Fenerbahce boss this week
• Spurs to undergo midfield revamp

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Mourinho may well provide Hojbjerg an escape route out of Spurs and a route to playing regular, first-team football. According to , the new Fenerbahce coach sees his former midfield general as key to transforming his new side. With the addition of Hojbjerg playing next to Fred, Mourinho can field an ex-Premier League duo of players he previously coached.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  At Spurs and under the Portuguese coach's stewardship, Hojbjerg became a leader and mainstay in midfield. Since Mourinho's departure, Hojbjerg has gradually slipped down the pecking order and has become a peripheral figure in north London with Ange Postecoglou preferring the likes of Pape Matar Sarr, Yves Bissouma and Oliver Skipp at the base of midfield.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Mourinho will be tasked with returning Fenerbahce to the top of the Super Lig, but their rivals have also appointed a new coach. Besiktas have hired Barcelona hero Giovanni van Bronckhorst as their new boss ahead of the new season. Meanwhile, Okan Buruk will remain in charge of league champions Galatasaray.

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• Getty Images
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR HOJBJERG?

  Fenerbahce and Spurs will engage in negotiations to see if a deal can be struck to take the Danish veteran to Istanbul. Mourinho will want to revitalise a side that finished on 99 points but still lost out on the Super Lig title last season.

Match against Kent could have lost first-class status had offspinner taken the field to replace ill Gareth Batty

Richard Hobson at The Oval08-Jul-2019

Amar Virdi in action for Surrey in 2018•Getty Images

England Lions offspinner Amar Virdi, whose fitness levels have come in for criticism at Surrey this season, was denied a first appearance of the campaign on Monday after the ECB overruled their own cricket liaison officer in the nick of time on a matter of Championship regulations.Surrey and Kent agreed that Virdi could take the place of Gareth Batty on the second day of the Division One game at The Oval when Batty went down ill overnight. They had been given clearance at the ground by Steve Davis, the former ICC international umpire now employed by the ECB.But as Surrey resumed their innings, Davis began to have second thoughts and contacted Alan Fordham, the ECB head of cricket operations for clarification. Fordham returned a voicemail and Surrey were eight wickets down, with Virdi padded up ready to bat as last man, when Davis was told to alter his decision.Regulations say that players can only be changed in the event of concussion or a return from international duty. The game could have lost first-class status had Virdi taken the field, ultimately leading to a possible postponement and re-match.News was relayed to Virdi and Surrey with only minutes to spare and the scoreboard operator even put up his name, unaware, when the ninth wicket fell. The crowd assumed that Surrey had declared and matters were cleared up only when they took the field with neither Batty nor Virdi among the XI, Jade Dernbach acting as twelfth man.The switch represented another setback for Virdi, 21 this month. After missing the start of Surrey’s programme because of back trouble, appearances since have been restricted to the 2nd XI as he failed to convince head coach Michael di Venuto of being ready for a recall. Di Venuto even told members at a recent forum that Virdi might be lost to the game unless his fitness improved. Before play on Sunday, Virdi was conspicuously lapping the boundary rope after joining the team in morning drills.His tally of 39 Championship wickets last season was the best for an English-born spinner and he has won praise for the purity of his action, control and flight. He has been tipped to follow county colleagues Sam Curran and Ollie Pope into the full England side.Events on Monday morning might be mischievously placed in the context of conflict between Surrey and the ECB, not least over the new Hundred competition. Kent and Surrey acted in good faith, as did Davis, on the grounds that Batty had taken no part in the game. Furthermore, it represented a like-for-like replacement, one spinner for another. However, there is no doubt about it being outside the scope of regulations.A Surrey spokesman said: “Kent very kindly and to their great credit said that as Gareth had not participated in the game, Amar could step in. We thought that was that, then we were contacted by ECB to say it was outside competition regulations so it could not happen.”

“It’s not all about me,” Simon Harmer might have pleaded on a day when others contributed significantly to Essex’s commanding position at Chelmsford. But at least symbolically it was because when Harmer had Tom Kohler-Cadmore lbw with a sharply turning short ball minutes before the close it emphasised the extent of the challenge that lies ahead for Yorkshire.Kohler-Cadmore out on the pull should not be a surprise for all those vaguely aware of the WhatsApp group which found such disfavour with the ECB (he was fined £2000 and given a retrospective ban last week).But Harmer has been plucking wickets all season with the craving of a blackbird tearing at a cherry tree. Feeding time will resume around 11 o’clock in the morning.When he made good use of his four overs at the tail-end of the day, drawing regular turn from a dry surface, it left Yorkshire 38 for 3 at stumps, still 82 runs behind, and needing somehow to add substance to the expected platitudes that they can still win the game.Essex have outdone them in all aspects. They have also fielded the more impressive pace attack. Peter Siddle chipped out two new-ball wickets – swinging one through the gate to bowl Will Fraine and then having Gary Ballance caught at the wicket, the excellence of the ball only outdone by the quality of Adam Wheater’s diving catch in front of first slip. Jamie Porter is forever dangerous at Chelmsford and the young livewire Aaron Beard is in the best form of his career, swinging the ball away at a fullish length and a decent pace.They also batted with far more resilience than Yorkshire to build a first-innings lead of 120. Tom Westley’s 81 was his highest score of the season and Ryan ten Doeschate’s unbeaten 70 was only his second Championship score of note this season.Ryan ten Doeschate played a counterattacking hand•Getty Images

Yorkshire’s short-term overseas signing, the South Africa left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj, faced a formidable challenge in having to rival Harmer’s exploits. He rounded up Essex’s first innings with two wickets in two balls. The dismissal of Beard, bowled for 41, and Porter, caught at slip first ball, gave him highly respectable figures of 36-11-93-3. In exerting such control, he had done a job that no other Yorkshire spinner could do. It is just that you could argue that it was the wrong job.He succeeded more as a holding spinner not an attacking spinner and on the sort of pitches Essex seek to create for Harmer, an attacking option is what you need. If you exclude one of ten Doeschate’s two straight sixes, which was a bit offside-ish, Maharaj did not concede a single boundary on the off side. He conceded eight more leg-side boundaries as Essex milked the region throughout the innings without much threat to their outside edge.Where Yorkshire had played skittishly in making 208, adopting the attitude that they must make their runs while they could, Essex approached their task in a more disciplined fashion.The challenge of Essex’s batsmen is to make runs on a home turf that is proving so problematic for opposing batsmen. Sir Alastair Cook has led the way in that this season. Westley, who has resisted overtures from Kent to sign a new three-year contract, came good and Rishi Patel deserved commendation for the way he sweated 124 balls over 35.It was a circumspect morning. Essex added only 71 runs in 32 overs and Westley needed nearly half-an-hour to add to his overnight 52. But Essex’s serious intent was apparent. They ground out a stand of 68 in 38 overs, at which point Patel placed Matt Fisher into the hands of short midwicket who had been placed there for that eventuality.Even so, Yorkshire make inroads with the second new ball – Westley had fallen lbw to Duanne Olivier just before it was due – and at 22 for 7, a 14-run lead, Essex were vulnerable. It was then that ten Doeschate delivered. He had been struggling for runs since his century against Surrey at Kia Oval in the second round of matches and his regaining of form is yet another reason to anticipate that Essex will push Somerset deep into September – perhaps until the last match at Taunton – for the title.

Mohammad Hafeez has signed for Middlesex as AB de Villiers’ replacement for five Vitality Blast games.De Villiers’ initial stint finished with a victory against Surrey last week, but he will return to the club for the final two games of the group stage, and the knockouts if Middlesex qualify.Hafeez will also be available for those two games, with Mujeeb Ur Rahman, the club’s other overseas signing, set to return to Afghanistan after being recalled by his board.Hafeez has been playing in the Global T20 Canada – he hit 85 runs in five innings for Edmonton Royals – and is expected to be available for Wednesday’s game at Essex.This will be Hafeez’s first stint in county cricket, though he did play club cricket in the Liverpool League in 2004 and 2005.Hafeez retired from Test cricket in December, but remains available for white-ball internationals.He was part of Pakistan’s World Cup squad, making 253 runs including a vital 84 against England at Trent Bridge, but was left off their central contracts list last week.After reaching the knockouts once in the last ten seasons, Middlesex have had an impressive campaign, and sit second in the South Group with five games to play.De Villiers’ shoes will be difficult to fill: in five innings for the club, he made 253 runs, striking at 191.66, including two scores of 88 not out and a 40-ball 64 to sign off against Surrey.1600 BST, August 13 – This story was updated to include news of Mujeeb’s availability

Liverpool have been hit by a virulent wave of injuries that threaten to stifle a remarkable fight for silverware across multiple fronts this season, but Jurgen Klopp's side just keep on churning.

Last weekend, Brentford were dispatched 4-1 in London, and now the Reds are back in action against Luton Town on Wednesday night, looking to keep their place at the top of the Premier League.

Hosting the relegation-threatened Hatters, Liverpool are indeed contending with a catalogue of absences to disrupt preparations, and with the Carabao Cup final against Chelsea looming on Sunday, Klopp may well make a host of changes.

In fact, he could make as many as five, and while victory should be achieved at Anfield, so much tinkering could affect the cohesion within the squad.

1 GK – Caoimhin Kelleher

Caiomhin Kelleher will hope to maintain his 100% winning record in the Premier League this season as he steps in for the hamstrung Alisson, who is unlikely to return for either of the Anfield side's forthcoming fixtures.

He produced some stunning saves against the Bees that led Klopp to gush over his "A+ performance."

More of the same this week, please.

2 RB – Conor Bradley

No Trent Alexander-Arnold? No matter. Conor Bradley has been a revelation in defence across recent weeks, taking his chance as Liverpool's first-choice battles niggling injury problems.

Crowned the Premier League's PFA Fans Player of the Month for January, Bradley posted a goal and five assists while sparkling with his energy and defensive acumen.

What a player. A new star is born on Merseyside.

3 CB – Jarell Quansah

Speaking of fresh faces, Jarell Quansah hasn't been too shabby since breaking into the first team this term. Joel Matip was sadly felled by an ACL injury in December and Klopp opted not to sign a centre-back last summer – met, it must be said, with incredulous response following the mess of the 2022/23 season.

Commanding and composed, the 21-year-old ranks among the top 1% of positional peers across Europe's top five leagues for pass completion and the top 2% for aerial duels won per 90, as per FBref.

4 CB – Virgil van Dijk

Ibrahima Konate will probably move to the bench ahead of Sunday's Wembley showdown but Virgil van Dijk, captain fantastic, will retain his starting berth.

Not much needs to be said here, he's just great, isn't he?

5 LB – Joe Gomez

Joe Gomez was not the flavour of the month, not at all. But that was then, and now the dynamic defender has recrafted his Merseyside career with some standout showings.

He's not a left-back but he's excelled in the role over recent months, with Andy Robertson and Kostas Tsimikas both injured.

The former's fit and firing once again but Klopp will likely drop him ahead of the Chelsea match, handing Gomez another opportunity to impress.

6 DM – Wataru Endo

Who's laughing now, ay? Certainly not Chelsea. Wataru Endo's £16m purchase from Stuttgart back in August was met with universal uncertainty after Liverpool lost out on both Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia to the Blues, but the Japan international has been one of the division's most underrated midfielders this term.

Endo's awareness in the centre of the park will be vital in breaking down Luton's play, and after winning aerial battles to set up two of his side's goals against Brentford, he's clearly not just a one-trick pony.

7 CM – Alexis Mac Allister

A mesmeric midfielder, Alexis Mac Allister's technical prowess will be so important against Luton, stifling their attacking threat and ensuring Liverpool take control in the central battle.

As per Sofascore, the 2022 World Cup winner has posted two goals and an assist across 20 Premier League fixtures this season, completing 89% of his passes, succeeding with 59% of his dribbles and averaging 2.9 tackles, 5.9 ball recoveries and 5.8 successful duels per game.

8 CM – Ryan Gravenberch

Ryan Gravenberch, aged 21, joined Liverpool from Bayern Munich in a £34m package back in the summer, and while he has fluctuated in his displays, he is a talented, multi-functional player and will start with Dominik Szoboszlai and Curtis Jones both injured.

#

Player

Club

1.

Joelinton

Newcastle United

2.

Khpehren Thuram

OGC Nice

3.

Jude Bellingham

Real Madrid

4.

Harvey Elliott

Liverpool

5.

Dominik Szoboszlai

Liverpool

*Source: FBref

He's got so much more to give, but there's no denying the prodigious roots of Gravenberch's skill set just require some refinement to establish him as one of Europe's leading players.

9 RW – Mohamed Salah

This, admittedly, is conjecture. But Mohamed Salah – described as "supreme" by The Times' Henry Winter – returned from the bench at the weekend to unleash a goal and assist on hapless Brentford, and while there have been fresh concerns over an aggravation of the muscular issue that has sidelined him recently, he might just surprise a few and wedge his way into the starting line-up.

10 LW – Luis Diaz

Luis Diaz has ebbed and flowed in performance this season but he has started to shine since the new year, with four goals and four assists to complement his fleet-footedness and electricity down the left channel.

The final, which was simulcast by Sky and Channel 4, was the first England game on free-to-air TV since the 2005 Ashes

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Jul-2019

Fans celebrate England’s win at the fanzone in Trafalgar Square•Getty Images

Sunday’s World Cup final, the first England international on free-to-air UK television since the 2005 Ashes, attracted a peak viewership of 8.3 million.The game was simulcast on several channels: Sky showed it on Sky One, Main Event, and their Cricket channel, while Channel 4 split their coverage between their main channel and More 4 during the British Grand Prix.The peak audience was only marginally below that recorded during the 2005 Ashes, when 8.4 million people watched the culmination of England’s win at Trent Bridge on Channel 4. By contrast, the first Test of the 2015 Ashes, shown only on Sky, attracted a peak viewership of 467,000.The World Cup final had to compete for attention with the men’s singles final at Wimbledon between Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer, as well as the British Grand Prix at Silverstone.Cricket will return to free-to-air TV in the UK from next summer, after the BBC agreed a deal in 2017 to show ten men’s and eight women’s matches from The Hundred per year, as well as two men’s T20Is and one women’s T20I.Liam Plunkett, the fast bowler who took three wickets in England’s win, had previously voiced support for the final to be broadcast free-to-air.”Playing for England, you’re the pride of the country and you want people to be able to access that and watch that,” he said after the group stage win against New Zealand. “I’m not sure it’s going to happen but for the guys, you want as many people to watch it as possible.”Sunday’s final was a sell-out, with unofficial resale platforms offering tickets priced at several thousand pounds. As well as the millions watching on TV, thousands of fans gathered in the fanzone in Trafalgar Square, first to watch and then to celebrate England’s win.There was widespread support for Sky’s decision to allow the game to be shown on free-to-air TV, a move that the ECB encouraged but did not demand. But Ashley Giles, the director of cricket for England’s men’s teams, suggested that England might not have been able to win the World Cup without Sky’s investment.When asked by BBC Radio 4 if it would have been impossible, Giles said: “Quite possibly, yes. The investment in the game from grassroots to professional has allowed us to do what we’ve done.”Sky took the game on and have been fantastic supporters since. Thank you to them for allowing it on Channel 4.”Channel 4’s chief executive Alex Mahon said it was “wonderful that the whole nation can come together to share these momentous British sporting events”.

Chelsea might just be the most challenging team to predict in the entire Premier League this season.

One week they'll concede four goals in back-to-back matches, only to go and win 3-1 away from home in back-to-back matches the following week.

Mauricio Pochettino's side are consistently inconsistent this year, and while that is partly down to an attack that cycles between being electric and stunted, it's also not helped by a defence that ranks as the ninth-worst in the league.

What must make it even more frustrating for the fans is that a defender they sold and passed on re-signing would surely improve their current backline, and he's now considered more valuable than club captain Reece James.

Nathan Ake's time at Chelsea

The player in question is none other than treble-winner and Dutch international, Nathan Ake.

The 28-year-old was a Chelsea player between July 2011, when he signed from Feyenoord as a youth prospect, to July 2017, when he left to join Bournemouth in a permanent deal worth around £20m.

Nathan Ake's career while contracted to Chelsea

Club

Chelsea

Reading

Watford

Bournemouth (Loan)

Appearances

17

5

28

12

Goals

0

0

1

3

Assists

2

0

0

0

All Stats via Transfermarkt

During his time as a senior Blues player, the Den Haag-born defender made just 17 appearances for the club and spent the vast majority of his time on loan with Reading, Watford and the Cherries.

He did make 40 appearances for the U21 side, but for whatever reason, Rafael Benitez, José Mourinho, Guus Hiddink and Antonio Conte just didn't rate the versatile defender during his time as a senior pro, and so, at 22 years old, he left the club for good.

Nathan Ake's life after Chelsea

With Ake being the Cherries' club record signing at the time, it didn't take long for him to establish himself as one of their most important players and first names on the teamsheet.

In his three seasons as an out-and-out Bournemouth player, he made 109 appearances across all competitions, scored eight goals and provided six assists. While he primarily played as a centre-back, he occasionally moved into the full-back areas, which was a sign of things to come for the talented defender.

When the south coast side were relegated at the end of the 2019/20 season, it looked as if the 5 ft 11 defender could be heading back to Stamford Bridge, but then-manager Frank Lampard opted against activating the buyback clause, believing that the Dutchman was not an upgrade on their defenders at the time.

Up stepped Manchester City.

Pep Guardiola's side paid the Cherries a whopping £41m for Ake's services, and while some might've questioned the wisdom of spending so much money on a defender who was recently relegated at the time, you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who doesn't think it was a successful signing today.

Ake's Manchester City Career

Appearances

112

Goals

10

Assists

2

All Stats via Transfermarkt

In all, the "exceptional" former Chelsea man, as he was described by Guardiola, has played 112 games for the Cityzens. While he played a bit part role in the first couple of campaigns, he has since become an integral part of the squad, making 41 appearances last season as the club won the treble. He's already made 31 this season as they fight to do it again.

This unbelievable run of form with the blue side of Manchester has seen his value increase considerably, with the CIES Football Observatory valuing him at around €60m, which is about £51m, or £31m more than Chelsea sold him for in 2017.

This valuation means that in the current market, Ake is worth more than the Pensioners' captain, James, who CIES value at just €40m, or about £34m, which is likely down to his lengthy and repetitive injury problems, something that Ake hasn't dealt with in his career to anywhere near the same extent.

Related Chelsea must regret selling £58m flop who's now outscoring Cole Palmer

The experienced forward has been on fire this season.

Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Feb 15, 2024

Ultimately, the valuation of a player isn't necessarily a true reflection of what a team would be willing to pay for them, but it's clear that the sale of Ake and subsequent refusal to re-sign him are some of Chelsea's biggest recent mistakes in the transfer market, as a player of his composure and experience would surely slot right into and improve their current team.