Chelsea have reportedly made a breakthrough in negotiations with Manchester City for defender Nathan Ake.
After over a month of speculation regarding the acquisition of new players, the Blues finally appear to be in a position where numerous signings will be confirmed within days of each other.
Having completed a medical, Manchester City winger Raheem Sterling has now flown out to Los Angeles to join Chelsea's pre-season tour, where he is expected to be officially unveiled as the club's first signing of the summer on Wednesday or Thursday.
Over the past 24 hours, it has also been widely reported that Chelsea have made significant strides towards sealing a deal for Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly.
The Senegal international has stated that the transfer is "on the right track" with the two clubs said to be close to finalising an agreement over a fee.
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While Chelsea's pursuit of Koulibaly has seemingly been on the backburner for much of the summer, their interest in Ake has lasted several weeks, with City undecided over whether they want to part ways with an important squad member.
However, according to 90min, Chelsea have now agreed a fee of £45m with the Premier League champions with a deal now expected to go through in due course.
The report adds that a payment structure is yet to be confirmed, but it is now accepted that the Netherlands international will likely return to one of his former clubs.
Between 2012 and 2017, Ake made a total of 17 appearances for the West Londoners after initially spending a period in the academy setup on the back of his transfer from Feyenoord as a teenager.
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Since then, a total of 163 Premier League outings have been accumulated at Watford, Bournemouth and City, where he has spent the last two campaigns.
The 27-year-old has featured on 24 occasions in the top flight under Pep Guardiola, a further 16 appearances being made in other competitions.
In recent weeks, it has been claimed that Chelsea head coach Thomas Tuchel has been an admirer of the player for some time, partly due to his versatility.
Ake is expected to line up on the left-hand side of a back three - replacing Antonio Rudiger - but he is also capable of deputising at left-back and in central midfield.
Despite the potential additions of Ake and Koulibaly, Tuchel is allegedly keen to sign a third established centre-back to bolster his squad.
Darren Plant
