Chelsea only have one more transfer window to take advantage of a buy-back clause in the contract of Bournemouth defender Nathan Ake.
When Chelsea allowed the Cherries to sign Ake for £20m in January 2017, it came under the condition that the Blues were able to re-sign their academy graduate for a set fee at a later date.
During the 24-year-old's time at the Vitality Stadium, it has been widely documented that Chelsea can trigger talks with the Netherlands international with an offer of £40m.
However, according to The Athletic, that option is only available to the West Londoners until the end of January.
That leaves Chelsea boss Frank Lampard to consider his options as he looks for a way to strengthen his squad at the turn of the year.
Ake has previously made nine starts and eight substitute appearances for Chelsea in all competitions.
