Chelsea boss Antonio Conte has revealed that he has been closely following the progress of Nathan Ake, who has impressed on loan at Bournemouth this season.
The 21-year-old, who spent the 2015-16 campaign with Watford, joined the Cherries on a season-long loan in the summer and has scored three times in 10 appearances for Eddie Howe's team this term.
Ake's performances on the south coast have drawn widespread praise and Conte has paid tribute to the Netherlands Under-21 international, who has been with Chelsea since 2011.
"Now, the most important thing is that Ake is playing very well and doing a great experience with this club. Then, for the future, I prefer to talk also for this topic with the club," Conte told reporters. "But I repeat: the most important thing now is that Ake is having a fantastic experience, playing very well and improving a lot."
Ake will be ineligible to face his parent club when Bournemouth visit Chelsea on December 26.
Matt Law
