After last summer’s major defensive departures: Ilya Zabarnyi, Dean Huijson and Milos Kerkez, the general consensus was regression. The 25/26 campaign has been far from it, though, with The Cherries qualifying for the Europa League for the first time in their history. It’s no secret that star attackers, Kroupi Jr and Rayan make the headlines, but it’s the unsung defence that is so important to this side. The promotion of James Hill into a starting position, partnered alongside Marcos Senesi, has allowed Bournemouth to kick on – launching their league position from 9th to 6th. Furthermore, the signing of Frenchman Adrien Truffert has proved decisive, as the left-back has impressed with his high volume of chances created and successful crosses. As well as this, he is one of the best left-backs in the division for defensive contributions.
With Marcos Senesi’s imminent move to Spurs after his contract expiration, an experienced center-back to partner James Hill is imperative. Since leaving Bournemouth in 2020, after relegation, Nathan Ake has made 177 appearances for Manchester City – winning 4 Premier Leagues, 2 FA Cups, 2 EFL Cups, and 1 Champions League. His impact on the team has been brilliant, but now the 31-year-old finds himself struggling for minutes. With just one year left on his contract, it’s a no-brainer for Bournemouth to launch an offer for his services. Reports within the last hour from Graeme Bailey suggest a bid is imminent.
Ake is a left-sided centre-back, so the changeover from Senesi to the Dutchman should be seamless. He’s a player who knows the club extremely well, having spent 4 seasons at The Vitality before, and in his previous stint, he was loved by the fans. Additionally, he can play left-back and is very capable going forwards, allowing him to cover any potential injuries across the backline. Despite being a different type of player from Truffert, the potential addition of Ake at left-back should work effectively. With just 1 year left on his contract, a bid around the £14m should be enough to obtain his services.
Nathan Ake ranks in the 1st percentile of centre-backs for big chances created per 90, as well as being in the 2nd percentile for successful crosses per 90. Whilst the Cherries don’t particularly need this, with Truffert at the club, it would still be a good addition. During the 22/23 season, arguably his best, no City player won more duels than him. Even more impressive is his average of 27.4 successful passes every 90 minutes – the most of any Premier League player that season. If Bournemouth can evoke this sort of ability out of him under Marco Rose, they have a world-class defender on their hands. Couple this with Alex Scott and Tyler Adams’ exceptional ability to receive the ball and drive, and this signing is a recipe for success.
Finally, it would be unfair to mention the impact of his experience. As I mentioned, Senesi leaving leaves a huge hole in the squad, ability-wise and leadership-wise. Having a four-time Premier League champion in the squad is usually almost unattainable and will no doubt give The Cherries an advantage over teams around them. Additionally, his experience in Europe – playing so regularly against top sides such as Real Madrid and Juventus – will be imperative to the team in their quest for European glory.
Overall, this signing makes so much sense. Bringing back a former player who has had so much success at the very top is a brilliant idea. Pair this experience with his ball-playing ability in the back-line, and the Cherries have a serious defender on their hands if they can get this deal over the line.
