Whilst AFC Bournemouth had certainly been prioritising the signing of a striker, with Kieffer Moore as their first choice target, it had also been clear that an attacking midfielder was also a key role that the Cherries wanted to fill for the second half of the 2021/22 campaign.
Earlier in the window, it appeared that the Cherries were very much in the mix for Derby County captain Tom Lawrence and Blackburn Rovers midfielder Joe Rothwell.
But it appears that a deal for either of those players, both out-of-contract in the summer with their respective clubs, was unable to be concluded.
So on transfer deadline day, AFC Bournemouth made a shock move for former England Under-21 international Todd Cantwell, who could prove to be a stunning signing as the Cherries chase promotion to the Premier League.
The 23-year-old has joined the Cherries on a loan deal until the end of the season, however, reports suggest that AFC Bournemouth do hold an option to make the deal permanent at the end of the season, with The Pink Un reporting that the option to buy is set at around £11million.
Cantwell’s current deal at Carrow Road is set to expire at the end of the current campaign, but Norwich intends to activate a 12-month extension option that they hold to prevent him from leaving the club on a free transfer, despite the fact that he has fallen out of favour at the club.
Cantwell had been very well regarded up until very recently.
During the summer The Sun reported that Norwich City were holding out for around £40million for Cantwell, following interest from Aston Villa.
Cantwell had impressed during Norwich City’s promotion campaign where he had scored 6 goals and claimed 6 assists, a campaign which saw Norwich make an instant return to the Premier League following their relegation alongside the Cherries. During that season, despite Norwich struggling Cantwell had scored 6 Premier League goals and claimed 2 assists.
However, this season he had fallen out of favour and has made just 8 Premier League appearances to-date.
AFC Bournemouth managed to complete the signing due to Norwich City not wishing to send him on loan to a fellow Premier League side and Cantwell not favouring a move to either Greek side Olympiacos or Spanish side Granada.
It’s official I’m a @afcbournemouth man, want to wish @NorwichCityFC all the best for the rest of season. May we meet again 💛💚 pic.twitter.com/HeipcyEXHb
— Todd Cantwell (@ToddCantwell_10) January 31, 2022
So overall, AFC Bournemouth signed seven new players over the course of the January transfer window. Including three permanent signings and four on loan (including Cantwell).
The three permanent signings are James Hill from Fleetwood Town for £1.6million, Kieffer Moore from Cardiff City for £3.5million, and Siriki Dembele from Peterborough United for £1.5million.
The loan signings are Ethan Laird from Manchester United, Freddie Woodman from Newcastle United, Nat Phillips from Liverpool (which includes a £1.5million loan fee), who join Leif Davis on loan from Leeds United and Morgan Rogers on loan from Manchester City.
AFC Bournemouth Chief Executive Officer Neill Blake told afcb.co.uk…
“We are delighted with the business we have done today and in the window as a whole,”
“We have signed five excellent players who add significant quality to our squad. All of those coming into the club today perfectly fit the profile of player we were looking for, and I’ve no doubt they will hit the ground running here.
“As with James Hill and Ethan Laird earlier this month, these players had many other options but have chosen to join us which speaks volumes for the club, Scott Parker and the direction we are moving in.”
Your say…
Sandman2 wrote…
What an outrageous day of business for AFCB with some real quality signings. A bit concerned Scott Parker felt the squad wasn’t good enough, so let’s hope now that he has everything he has asked for he can get it working and we finish in the top two.
Seem to remember saying something similar in August but this time it feels like AFC Bournemouth owner Maxim Demin has gone for s**t or bust. Going to be very messy if we are still in this league next season! – Join the conversation, click here.
