City plotting £40m Ake bid

The Dutchman has impressed for the 'Cherries' since joining them from Chelsea on a permanent deal in the summer of 2017, being ever-present in the Premier League since that move and racking up seven caps for his country.

Ake's performances haven't gone unnoticed, with Tottenham Hotspur having also been linked with an interest in his services.

Capable of playing at centre-back, left-back and in midfield, Ake's versatility is a huge bonus for interested parties, whilst his home-grown player status is also an interesting prospect, with the 23-year-old having come through the academy at Chelsea.

The youngster recently dismissed the rumours of interest in him, saying: "At the moment I play at Bournemouth and that is going very well, so I focus on that."

City's interest comes as something of a surprise given that they already have Vincent Kompany, Nicolas Otamendi, John Stones, Aymeric Laporte and Eliaquim Mangala all on the books at the Etihad.

However, with Pep Guardiola known to be looking for a central midfielder to compete with Fernandinho in the holding role and Ake having previously admitted to that being his favourite role, it is possible that he may be being looked at as an option in the engine room.