Middlesbrough are swooping for Chelsea defender Nathan Ake.

The Mail on Sunday says Ake is to join Championship club Middlesbrough on loan as Jose Mourinho continues to send his best young players away to gain first-team experience.

Ake, a Dutch under-21 international who has already played 10 first-team games for Chelsea, will follow in the footsteps of Patrick Bamford who scored 19 goals at The Riverside last season under Mourinho's former Real Madrid No2, Aitor Karanka.

Chelsea have sent a number of players on loan in the last couple of seasons including Romelu Lukaku, Nathaniel Chalobah, Josh McEachran and Victor Moses.