MANCHESTER City have agreed a £41million fee to sign Bournemouth defender Nathan Ake.
The deal is worth a guaranteed £40m to the relegated Cherries and could rise by a further £1m.
Holland international Ake (pictured) has been a standout performer since signing from Chelsea for £20m in 2017 but his exit looked inevitable once Bournemouth were relegated last weekend.
Although the Blues have a buy-back option allowing them to sign Ake for £40m, they are not expected to take it with City the only club to have made an offer for the 25-year-old, who missed the Cherries’ final three Premier League fixtures after suffering a groin injury in a 4-1 win over Leicester on July 12.
Ake, capped 13 times by his country, has made 121 appearances for Bournemouth, scoring 11 times.
On the grapevine
■ BRIGHTON pair Steven Alzate and Aaron Connolly have each agreed new four-year contracts. Midfielder Alzate, 21, and forward Connolly, 20, broke into the first team this season under Graham Potter.
■ NORWICH have signed midfielder Kieran Dowell from Everton. The 22-year-old has joined the relegated Canaries on a three-year deal for an undisclosed fee.
■ DAVID SILVA is being linked with David Beckham’s Inter Miami, a move to Dubai and even a return to first club Valencia once his ten-year spell at Manchester City ends.