Bournemouth signs Ake from Chelsea for club-record fee

Nathan Ake is on his way back to the south coast after Bournemouth signed the defender from Chelsea for a club-record fee.

Details of the transfer were not disclosed, but reports suggest Chelsea accepted an offer worth as much as £20 million.

The 22-year-old returns to the Vitality Stadium where he spent the first half of last season before Chelsea recalled him during the January transfer window.

"I had a great time here last season so I'm really happy to be back," Ake said. "It's an exciting challenge. Chelsea is a great club and I learned so much there but this is a new step and the right place for me to develop even more.

"The fans haven't seen the best of me yet. I always set the bar high so I know there is a lot of things I still have to work on. With the help of the manager here I know I can keep improving and become a better player."

Bournemouth announced the deal after Ake put pen to paper on a long-term contract, with Jeremy Wilson of The Telegraph reporting the deal will keep him in a Cherries top for five years.

Ake scored three goals during 10 Premier League appearances for Bournemouth, but only managed to feature in five matches in all competitions upon his return to Chelsea.

The Dutch defender becomes the third player to complete a move to Bournemouth this summer, following the arrivals of forward Jermain Defoe and goalkeeper Asmir Begovic.