Chelsea loan news: Nathan Ake agrees move to Bournemouth following successful Watford spell

Chelsea starlet Nathan Ake will continue his development at Bournemouth next season, with the young defender going on loan to the Cherries for the 2016-17 campaign. The Dutch U21 international follows in the footsteps of a number of other youngsters in Antonio Conte's squad who have left on loan in recent weeks, including Nathan, Charly Musonda and Lewis Baker.

Ake, now 21, moved to the West London academy in 2011 from Feyenoord. He won the FA Youth Cup in his inaugural campaign, before being rewarded with a first-team debut against Norwich City in 2012.

Former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho promoted him to the senior squad for the latter part of the 2014-15 campaign, but he was later loaned to Reading in a one-month deal due to a lack of opportunities.

Last summer, Mourinho sent him on loan to Watford to give him more first-team experience. The defender made the most of the opportunity under Quique Sanchez Flores, playing 28 games as a left-back and winning the club's young player of the year award.

However, his impressive spell with the FA Cup semi-finalists has not been enough to guarantee him a role under Conte at Chelsea, and the Blues have now announced his loan to Bournemouth.

"Nathan Ake will spend the 2016/17 season on loan at Bournemouth," the club confirmed in an official statement. "Ake, who has played 12 times for Chelsea including matches in successful Europa League and League Cup campaigns, signed a new five-year contract last summer having joined our academy in 2011. He is a Netherlands Under-21 international. "