Watford face a fight to land Nathan Ake from Chelsea

Watford are seeking to increase the depth of their squad and provide cover at left back by trying to take Nathan Ake on loan from Chelsea.

A club source today confirmed the Hornets are in negotiations with the Premier League champions over the 20-year-old but stressed the deal is complex.

Chelsea will not let Ake go unless they have signed a replacement for Felipe Luis, the left back who returned to Atletico Madrid after just one underwhelming year at Stamford Bridge. Danny Rose is Jose Mourinho’s preferred target to provide cover and competition for Cesar Azpilicueta yet any negotiations with Daniel Levy at Tottenham are likely to be protracted.

If he landed the England international, Mourinho would then sanction Ake’s temporary departure, leaving Watford in a race with several other clubs. The most notable competition is from Germany.



His destination will also be determined by an assurance from the loan club that Ake will play a certain number of games. Chelsea rate Ake highly, introducing him to Champions League football last season, and they do not want a repeat of the situation that saw Josh McEachran play just seven games in four months on loan at Vicarage Road the season before last. Watford, meanwhile, are not in a position to guarantee game time in that spot, especially after making Jose Holebas the most expensive defender, in terms of transfer fee, in the club’s history.

A move for Ake would also suggest Daniel Pudil’s time at the club is up, especially with the club keen to reduce the number of foreign players on their books. It would also be the first of several loan deals for players who qualify as homegrown or, as in Ake’s case, who are Under-21 and therefore fall outside of the 25-man squad cap. Watford have plenty of players under the age of 21 but they are not yet considered ready for first-team football.

Read who we think might make Sanchez Flores’ first competitive XI of the season on Saturday

It was a tough choice to select our #watfordfc formation and midfield for #efc on Saturday. http://t.co/8rJD6WM1xX pic.twitter.com/C3eqv6FxNq — WD Sport (@WDSport_) August 4, 2015

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