Eddie Howe expects Bournemouth to face serious competition from their Premier League rivals for defender Nathan Ake in January, claims The Sun.
Ake has been a star performer for high-flying Bournemouth this season and has already been heavily linked with moves to Tottenham and Manchester United.
The 23-year-old left Chelsea to sign Bournemouth in a permanent deal worth £20m in 2017 but Maurizio Sarri’s side reportedly have a £40m buy-back option.
Chelsea have also been linked with a move for the Netherlands international and Howe is not confident about the club’s chances of keeping the versatile defender.
Howe fears Bournemouth will either lose Ake in January or at the end of the season and is keen to identify his replacement quickly.
The Cherries have branched their search out to Serie A, while Brentford defender Chris Mepham has also been mooted as a potential transfer target.
Ake has featured in every Premier League game since moving to Bournemouth on a permanent deal in the summer of 2017.
Of Bournemouth players that have made at least 25 appearances in the Premier League since the start of last season, only two have a higher WhoScored rating than Ake (6.88).
