Chelsea Transfer News: Fresh Rumours on Axel Witsel, Nathan Ake Latest

Zenit St. Petersburg midfielder Axel Witsel has reportedly rejected Chelsea's advances after already agreeing to join Juventus in 2017. Meanwhile, Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe is hoping to keep hold of Blues loan star Nathan Ake.

Italian newspaper Tuttosport (h/t The Sun's Anthony Chapman) reported Chelsea manager Antonio Conte sounded Witsel out as a replacement for China-bound Oscar, but the Belgian isn't interested in a move to Stamford Bridge.

As explained by Chapman, Oscar is on the verge of a move to Chinese Super League outfit Shanghai SIPG after a deal in the region of £60 million was agreed last week.

Witsel would be considered a more defensively minded midfielder than Oscar but a replacement nonetheless, and ESPN FC's Michael Yokhin provided further evidence to suggest Zenit's star will leave the club in January:

The 27-year-old moved to Zenit from Benfica in 2012 and has enjoyed a successful stay with Zenit, winning the Russian Premier League in 2014-15 and clinching the Russian Cup title last season.

However, alarm bells began to ring when Zenit pulled the plug on a £21 million move to Turin on transfer deadline day in the summer, and Witsel told Belgian broadcaster RTBF (Joe Short of the Daily Express) of his disappointment:

"

It’s really hard [to take]. I still have to thank Juventus because they did everything for me until the end. It’s a shame that Zenit did not accept €25m when I had a year left on my contract.

I’m disappointed because I went there and passed medical tests, so I saw myself at Juventus in my head, but it didn’t happen. These are things that happen in football. I won’t start feeling depressed, that’s life.

My fate was to play for Juventus but not yet. We’ll see what’ll happen next year.

"

Having clearly been dismayed by the failed switch, it appears Witsel may still have the opportunity to realise that fate, although it seems Chelsea will be forced to look elsewhere for reinforcements as a result.

Not only that, but Belgian football expert John Chapman revealed Witsel will join the Serie A giants for an extremely affordable figure as he prepares to enter the final six months of his Zenit contract:

The Blues already have a steely midfield pairing in N'Golo Kante and Nemanja Matic, with Cesc Fabregas also vying for his place, but the addition of Belgium international Witsel wouldn't have gone astray in midseason.

Meanwhile, Bournemouth boss Howe has spoken of his desire to keep Ake for the entire 2016-17 campaign after the loaned defender netted in Sunday's 3-1 defeat to Southampton. Per the London Evening Standard's Tom Doyle, Howe said:

"

I thought Nathan Ake was excellent again. There is a clause there where Chelsea can recall him. 

But we would hope the fact he's playing and playing well would mean he'd stay. But we'll wait and see. If you take away his goal he defended really well, he used the ball well and he got into some good positions, it's a positive from today.

"

The centre-back's Sunday strike was his third of the 2016/17 campaign, but Chelsea boss Conte may be tempted to permit the 21-year-old his stay at the Vitality Stadium rather than risk cutting his progress short.

John Terry and Ola Aina have played back-up to David Luiz, Gary Cahill and Cesar Azpilicueta in defence this season while Kurt Zouma recovers from a serious knee injury.

With all the competition ahead of him at Stamford Bridge, Ake may well prefer to remain on England's south coast and enjoy his run of first-team minutes, too, before attempting a run into Conte's plans next summer.