Andre Villas-Boas gave Tottenham Hotspur target Nathan Ake an excellent opportunity at 16-years-old

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Tottenham Hotspur are being linked with a move for Bournemouth defender Nathan Ake this week. As reported by the Daily Star, Spurs and Manchester United are both said to be targeting the Dutchman, who is valued at £40 million by the Cherries.

Tottenham are starting to look for a new centre-back. Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld are both nearing the end of their respective contracts at the club and Mauricio Pochettino is looking to build a new defensive partnership with Davinson Sanchez. Left-footed Ake would be the perfect option to play alongside the Colombian starlet.

Interestingly, the Dutch defender has a link with a former Tottenham manager.

Ake was brought to Chelsea in January 2011 from Feyenoord. The summer after that saw Andre Villas-Boas employed as the new Chelsea boss.

One of the key factors he tried to implement at Stamford Bridge, was a changing of the guard. It meant bringing in some of the club’s excellent young talent into first-team training. That included a 16-year-old Ake.

Unfortunately, AVB never got the chance to fully work with the young Dutchman after getting the shove at Chelsea. It was actually Rafa Benitez who eventually gave him his Chelsea debut in December 2012.

But AVB saw enough of him to promote him to the first-team training sessions when still, essentially, a schoolboy. He trained with the likes of John Terry, Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole, which must have been a sensational learning experience for the young Dutch star.

Now he is looking like being a Tottenham target at a handsome £40 million price-tag. It is quite the progression from the youngster in just under eight years and Spurs will hope to win this transfer battle.