Manchester City are close to agreeing a deal to sign Nathan Aké from Bournemouth. As Pep Guardiola accelerates a rebuild of City’s defence following an unsuccessful defence of their Premier League title, it is believed Aké will become a key recruit for a fee in the region of £35m. Aké has been strongly linked with Manchester United and Chelsea, the club he left to join Bournemouth for £20m in 2017 after a handful of first-team appearances. Despite Bournemouth’s recent struggles, the 25-year-old Netherlands international’s reputation remains high. Aké is under contract until 2022 but there is a realisation at Bournemouth that he will depart when this season concludes. The player’s impending arrival will increase speculation regarding Guardiola’s existing centre-backs, including John Stones. Mikel Arteta could be alerted to the availability of a player he knows from his time coaching at City.