Despite ‘broken’ comments reported Tottenham target Nathan Ake is still a fan of Jose Mourinho

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Tottenham Hotspur are said to be in the race for Bournemouth defender Nathan Ake. As reported by The Sun on Sunday (17/11/2019; pg 67) and again today by talkSPORT, £75 million rated Ake is on Tottenham’s radar as a potential long-term solution at centre-back. 

With the futures of Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld up in the air, it is a position that Tottenham clearly need to strengthen. 

However, the appointment of Jose Mourinho as boss might present an issue in the pursuit of Ake. 

It would be fair to suggest that the Dutchman was not happy under the guidance of Mourinho as he came through the ranks at Chelsea. 

After looking like a first-team star in the making under Rafa Benitez he was immediately dropped back into the reserves after Mourinho returned to Stamford Bridge in 2013. 

Speaking to The Telegraph earlier this year, Ake expressed how it was one of the toughest times he has faced in his footballing career so far.  

“The season after Benitez left I thought, ‘this is going to be my season’. Then Jose Mourinho came and, without training, I got dropped into the second team. 

“That was one of the toughest things for me, mentally. I was quite broken. Everything was going great, I played a few games, I was Young Player of the Year and then I was in the reserves again.”

However, in a previous interview, Ake was far more positive in his assessment of Mourinho. Speaking to The Guardian in 2016, he admitted again that it was a difficult period. However, he spoke very highly of Mourinho as a man and seemed to understand why, at such a young age, he was not getting a chance for Chelsea.

“Mourinho said I was training well and performing well in the games I played but that I had to wait for my chance. And I could understand it, as there were so many big players at the club.

“When you are playing a game and he is coaching on the sideline, you get the same emotion – you are going to run harder. He’s got that. He is good in transmitting his message, and tactically he is strong too. When you speak to him off the field, he is a really nice man as well. If you are having your breakfast at the club, and he is sitting next to you, you can talk about everything with him.” 

TBR’s View

Whilst Ake did receive a setback under Mourinho you could argue it ended up helping his career in the long run. 

Moving away from Chelsea has seen him blossom into one of the Premier League’s top players and Tottenham would certainly love to have him at the heart of their defence. 

It also seems that, on a personal level, Ake would have no issue working with the Portuguese yet again. So whilst on first view, it might appear Mourinho’s appointment is bad news regarding the Ake pursuit, it might, in fact, be the complete opposite.