Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe has confirmed it to be doubtful that defender Nathan Ake will play again this season.
Howe confirmed the news as he spoke to the media after Bournemouth picked up a much needed three points against Leicester.
Ake picked up the injury in the first half of that game and was subsequently taken off, being replaced by Steve Cook.
Nathan Ake Unlikely to Play Again This Season
What Howe Said
Speaking to the press after their 4-1 victory against the Foxes, Howe said: “Nathan is sore. I think he has done something to his groin.
“With such a short time of the season left, I think it looks doubtful he will play again.”
The Dutch international was seen after the game, leaving the ground on crutches.
Ake a Shining Light for Bournemouth
In what has been a dismal season for the Cherries, Ake has shown some promise.
Playing as a centre back for most of the season, not only has he helped in defence, but he has also contributed four goals, scoring two and assisting a further two.
Although Ake and the defence have been solid for the most part this season, they have conceded the third most goals in the league.
They have also struggled in front of goal this season, only scoring 36 goals. This is the joint fourth lowest. Only already-relegated Norwich City, Crystal Palace and Watford have scored less. This is also 20 less than their tally last season.
Calum Wilson is their top scorer in the league, but Ake’s two goals puts him joint fifth on the list. With a defender who has scored just two goals your fifth highest goalscorer, one can tell that the club is struggling.
Is Ake on the Move This Summer?
With three games to go, Bournemouth sit in the relegation zone. They will hope to build on their win over Leicester as they look to pull off a great escape.
However if they do go down, we will likely see some of their better players leave for a discounted price. Ake would no doubt be one of those.
So the question really is, who would want to sign a defender who has just been relegated? According to reports, the answer is both Manchester clubs.
According to David Ornstein of The Athletic, Manchester City are looking to make centre back signings their priority this summer. They have a shortlist of left sided centre backs, and, although Ake is an option, this list also features Inter Milan’s Milan Skriniar and Shakhtar Donetsk’s Mykola Matviyenko.
City could face some competition from their local rivals however. According to The Telegraph, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wants to replace Marcos Rojo with another left footed centre back this summer.
Ake would certainly fit the bill and rumours intensified after BT Sport released a video on their Twitter which showed an exchange between Solskjaer and Ake. Although subtitles showed ‘You need abit of luck from your centre backs’, many United fans heard different, with it sounding like the Norwegian had said ‘We need a left footed centre back.’
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However, the same Telegraph report said that United will likely prioritise a new striker and right sided attacker before looking at a defender.
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