Matt Law’s piece in the Daily Telegraph today is all about Nathan Ake. The young Dutchman has gone from strength to strength since joining Bournemouth from Chelsea, and now the writer reports that the Blues are keen to activate a £40m buy-back clause to bring him back.
But there is a condition hidden in the article. Law points out that Frank Lampard will spend the first half of the season “assessing his options and deciding whether [David] Luiz needs to be replaced.”
That’s a pretty significant line. Ask any Chelsea fan how they feel about the centre back situation right now and they will tell you that we desperately need quality there.
Some rated Luiz more than others, some rate Antonio Rudiger more than others, and everyone has different opinions on the potential of returning players like Kurt Zouma and Fikayo Tomori.
But one thing most fans will agree on is that that group does not have any top tier defenders in, and that the idea Lampard may be happy without replacing one of his most experienced senior players is pretty worrying.
