Bournemouth to complete big money signing over next 48 hours

..AFC Bournemouth are expected to complete the signing of a young Welsh international over the course of the weekend.

Sheffield United midfielder David Brooks appears to have been one of Cherries manager Eddie Howe’s main targets this summer.

A 20-year-old midfielder, who was a product of the Manchester City academy, Brooks joined Sheffield United in 2014, signing a professional contract just one year later.

He represented England at Under 20’s level before switching allegiance to Wales, playing for their Under 21’s side before making his full international bow.

On Wednesday it was reported by Sky Sports News that AFC Bournemouth and Sheffield United had agreed on a transfer fee for Brooks.

SKY SOURCES: Bournemouth agree £10m deal plus add ons with Sheffield United to sign David Brooks. #SSN pic.twitter.com/KKd3PTReJP

— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) June 27, 2018

That fee is reportedly £10million but could rise to around £15million with various clauses and add-ons written into the deal.

On Thursday, he was reportedly having his medical with AFC Bournemouth staff.

🍒 Sheffield United midfielder David Brooks is undergoing a medical at #AFCB today

💷 The fee would be an initial £10million, potentially rising to £11.5million pic.twitter.com/ytVXyBUvfV

— BBC Radio Solent Sport (@solentsport) June 28, 2018

That news was confirmed by Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder, who told Sky Sports…

“David is on the way to Bournemouth to have a medical and discuss personal terms.

“The deal looks well on its way. If both clubs have agreed a fee – that usually happens before a medical takes place and the personal [terms] are discussed.

Last season he made 36 appearances for club and country and was considered as one of Sheffield United’s biggest assets.

In fact just this week, despite an imminent transfer move looking likely, Wilder was quizzed on the prospect of building his Sheffield United side around Brooks.

He told the Sheffield Star…

“I’ve just answered a question over there about building a team around David Brooks, I think that would be really disrespectful to the likes of John Fleck and Jack O’Connell. Yes, we’d have loved to have kept him. But we’ve still got some really good players here…”

Brooks had signed a long-term contract with Sheffield United only a few months ago and the Star has reported that “Wilder indicated the player and his agent had communicated, during a series of top secret talks earlier this month, they wished to break that agreement.”

Apparently due to this, there had been “predictions on social media he would blow his top” if he were to lose Brooks, but instead, Wilder added…

“That’s for me to come out about on Sunday or Monday when the deal gets done, We don’t live in that world now when, in the Sixties or the Seventies, you’d have nine of 10 lads from Sheffield who bleed red and white. There’s too many people involved now, good and bad. There’s personal situations to take into account. You have to work to the best of your ability to get the best for the club.”

He concluded…

“We spotted him straight away, we brought him up from the top building to the academy. These things happen in football, I’ve been in it long enough to know that, since I was 16 to just over 50. You just have to get on with it and make the most of it.”

“If he kicks on, he’s got good attributes, Every player has to try and fulfil their potential. In terms of the deal the football club have got, in terms of the money being banded about, the club has got a deal. If he does fulfil his potential, we’ve worked numbers in to the deal that protects us as well.”

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