By David Awopetu
Relegated Bournemouth have accepted a £40m bid from Manchester City for star defender Nathan Ake.
It is understood there is an additional £1m in add-ons as part of the deal.
Ake, 25, joined Bournemouth in 2017 for a club record fee and has made 121 appearances for the Cherries.
Ake’s likely arrival at the Etihad Stadium comes after City endured a poor season defensively following the departure of Vincent Kompany to Anderlecht last year.
Hampered by a long-term injury to Aymeric Laporte and the disappointing form of John Stones and Nicolas Otamendi, City boss, Pep Guardiola, was forced to deploy Brazilian midfielder, Fernandinho, at centre-back.
Ake, capped 13 times by the Netherlands, has netted 11 times for Bournemouth.
Cherries boss, Howe, had little interest in discussing Ake’s future before the Premier League season ended.
Asked if the player may have made his final appearance for the south-coast club after he sustained an injury against the Foxes, Howe replied, “I think it would be silly of me to comment on that, to be honest, at this moment in time.
“I think next season and everything beyond it will take care of itself.”
Fernandinho, typically deployed as a central midfielder, has slotted into a back four on occasion but Ake now looks set to be a long-term partner for Aymeric Laporte in Manchester.
