Chelsea boss Antonio Conte has revealed he has been looking closely at Nathan Ake playing as a centre-back in training this week.
Conte recently explained that his decision to recall Ake from a season-long loan at Bournemouth was partly based on the Dutch youngster’s versatility.
Ake, 21, can pay in the centre of defence or in midfield, and Conte is also keen to deploy him as a wing-back in training to see if he might also be an option in that role for the Blues.
For the time being, though, Conte has been looking at Ake as a centre-back.
“In these days I tried him as a central defender,” Conte explained.
“It’s important for me to have a bit of time with him to know him better and to try to find out the best position for him.
“He can play in different roles and it’s very important for us he is able to do that.
“He can play as a central defender, in the middle or on the left. He could also play as a wing-back. It’s important now to work with us.”
Conte also suggested that Ake’s return to the squad could save Chelsea having to spend on an alternative during this month’s transfer window.
“This makes me more calm in the January market,” said the Italian.
“He has good personality and he’s mature. It (coming back to Chelsea) is not a gift for him. Somebody must deserve to come back.
“In a year and a half he has improved a lot. This shows that it’s important for a young player to play on loan, and then, when they are ready, come back and play with us.”
Meanwhile, Conte insisted Chelsea have no intention of sending John Terry out on loan after he was linked with a possible move to Bournemouth for the rest of the season.
Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe has said no discussions have taken place between his club and Terry despite reports of talks being arranged.
This post was last modified on 13/01/2017