Chelsea recall Ake from Bournemouth loan

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has recalled defender Nathan Ake from his loan deal at Bournemouth.

The Dutch defender, who signed a new five-year deal at Stamford Bridge in 2015, played 12 times for the Cherries and manager Eddie Howe admits losing Ake will be "a huge blow to us as he's done so well."

"It's easier said than done to say we are going to recruit a player in similar stature to Nathan and I'm not sure there are too many out there," Howe said.

"So that's going to be a difficult one for us but we will assess our options and try and make the right decisions."

Ake thanked the Bournemouth fans for their support during his six-month spell on the South Coast.

"I want to say thank you to all the fans at AFC Bournemouth, I really loved my time at the club and I have learned a lot here," he wrote on Instagram.

"I also want to say thank you to the manager, staff and players for all the support and l wish them the best for the rest of the season."

Howe is likely to make a loan move for Liverpool's out-of-favour defender Mamadou Sakho or the Reds' 19-year-old full-back Joe Gomez as a replacement for Ake.

Conte said on Saturday that he was mulling over whether to recall the 21-year-old from his loan spell at the Vitality Stadium, and Chelsea confirmed the move on Sunday morning.

"Ake is a really good player and now he's started to play with Bournemouth and is playing every game," the Italian said.

"Honestly, I'm evaluating his situation, because Ake could be an interesting opportunity in this window for us."

Ake will return to the Chelsea squad in time for their next league fixture at Leicester City on 14 January.

Photo (Getty Images/ Warren Little)

eir Sport channels are available across the eir Vision, Sky and Vodafone TV platforms as well as on the eir Sport app. All 6 channels in the eir Sport pack are available for free if you are a residential eir broadband customer.