It is lining up to be a big summer next year for Tottenham in large part to three players who could be departing.
With Toby Alderweireld, Christian Eriksen and Jan Vertonghen all having their current deals with the club expiring at the end of this season, there is a good chance that Jose Mourinho will have his work cut out for him in potentially replacing these three crucial first-team players.
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And it seems like the Portuguese manager already has one name lined up to replace one of Alderweireld or Vertonghen should one or both leave the club next year, with CalcioMercato reporting that Bournemouth defender and former Chelsea youngster Nathan Ake is on Tottenham’s radar.
Indeed, the Dutch international spent little time with Mourinho, with stats from Transfermarkt showing that Ake only played 278 minutes of football under the former Chelsea boss during their together with the Blues, yet nearly five years on from their last spell together, the 24-year-old centre-back could just be what Spurs need if they are to replace Alderweireld or Vertonghen.
Compared to David Luiz in 2013 by The Daily Mail, Ake is an archetypal ball-playing centre-back that of which has thrived in this era of the football, with stats from WhoScored showing that the Dutch international has the highest pass completion rate out of any Bournemouth defender this season.
As well as being comfortable on the ball with his feet, Ake’s ability to score the occasional goal has been nothing short of impressive, as stats from Sky Sports Statto show that the former Feyenoord youngster has scored the same number of headed goals as Liverpool star Virgil van Dijk in the Premier League.
Replacing Tottenham’s two main central defenders will be a big task for Mourinho, yet in Ake, the former Manchester United manager will have an ideal candidate to bring in this summer should Alderweireld or Vertonghen leave the club this summer.