AFC Bournemouth are reportedly very busy behind the scenes in regards to securing some new signings before the January transfer window closes at 11pm on Monday night (31st).
Unusually for the Cherries there are a lot of reported targets being mentioned by reliable sources, including BBC Radio Solent reporter Kris Temple and talkSPORT reporter Alex Crook, which appears to give credibility to reported interest from AFC Bournemouth in at least five players.
In regards to two named players, it appears that it will be an either/or interest, whilst the other three players it is less clear if one is a clear first choice target and another is a back-up, or whether AFC Bournemouth would be keen to add more than one of these players to their squad ahead of a final promotion push for the remainder of the 2021/22 Championship campaign.
So first up, is the search for a new striker. AFC Bournemouth are short of numbers in attack. Thankfully Dominic Solanke has been ever-present so far this season. But options if Solanke needs a rest, injury, suspension etc are limited.
Jamal Lowe, who was signed from Swansea City during the summer window is an option, having played as the main striker for Swansea City last season as they made a play-off push. But beyond that, following the sale of Sam Surridge to Stoke City, then AFC Bournemouth head coach Scott Parker would be looking at youth-team striker Christian Saydee.
AFC Bournemouth’s first-choice forward target is reportedly Cardiff City striker Kieffer Moore. The 29-year-old Wales international has previous roots on the south coast having played for both Dorchester Town and Yeovil Town between the years 2013-2015.
Following a short spell in Norway and plying his trade in non-league football with Forest Green Rovers and Torquay United, he made the move to the second-tier of English football in 2016 with Ipswich Town. Two fruitless seasons followed, but he rediscovered his scoring form on loan in League One with Rotherham United in 2017/18 and then made the move to Barnsley to score his first Championship goals, only to later be relegated.
After scoring 17 goals in 31 League One appearances for Barnsley, Moore made the step back up to the Championship with Wigan Athletic. 10 goals in 36 appearances earned him a £2million move to Cardiff City in 2020.
According to talkSPORT reporter Alex Crook “Cardiff are resigned to him” whilst BBC Radio Solent reporter Kris Temple claims that the “two clubs getting closer on valuations“.
WalesOnline has previously reported that Cardiff City valued Moore at around the £10million mark and have previously put off interest from Wolverhampton Wanderers.
If the Cherries are unsuccessful in their attempts to sign Moore then they could turn their attentions to 33-year-old former England, Newcastle, Liverpool and West Ham United striker Andy Carroll.
Another attacking option on the radar for AFC Bournemouth is Peterborough United forward Siriki Dembele.
The 25-year-old Ivory Coast-born attacker would provide a very different attacking threat for the Cherries in comparison to Moore or Carroll, so would appear to be a target in his own right.
He often takes up a wide role for Championship strugglers Peterborough United, where he has scored 5 goals and claimed 1 assist this season. Last season, aiding his side to promotion from League One he scored 11 goals and claimed 10 assists.
Dembele is out-of-contract in the summer and AFC Bournemouth have reportedly had two bids rejected during this transfer window. Whilst its not clear if the Cherries will increase their offer, Peterborough did leave him out of their squad on Tuesday night against Birmingham City.
Next up and AFC Bournemouth are also strongly linked with Derby County captain Tom Lawrence.
Under normal circumstances, 28-year-old Wales international Lawrence would not be a possibility, but this is not normal circumstances for Derby County, who find themselves in administration and suffering points penalties. The administrators appear open to selling anything, even if it is nailed down and that probably includes Lawrence who has featured over 170 times for his current club.
Football Insider have reported that both AFC Bournemouth and Queens Park Rangers are in the mix for Lawrence, who, like Dembele, is out of contract at the end of the current season.
The final name in the frame is Blackburn Rovers midfielder Joe Rothwell, who again, is out-of-contract with his current employers.
The 27-year-old is a former Manchester United graduate who has spent his career in the Championship and League One, enjoying loan spells with Blackpool and Barnsley, before permanent moves to Oxford United and Blackburn Rovers.
The Lancashire Telegraph have reported that AFC Bournemouth have had three bids rejected by Blackburn, who currently sit one place above the Cherries in the Championship table.
The reported offer is in excess of £2million, however, this is not “anywhere near the valuation” that Blackburn hold according to the Lancashire local newspaper.
But not all appears to be lost as he was left out of Blackburn Rovers squad against Middlesbrough on Monday night.
🍒 TRANSFER UPDATE (1/3)
• I understand #AFCB are making progress in their efforts to sign Tom Lawrence from #DCFC. Has other suitors, but #AFCB well placed.
Process not straightforward, with administrators currently running Derby.
— Kris Temple (@kristemple) January 25, 2022
#AFCB transfers (3/3) 🍒
• Joe Rothwell from #BRFC is also still a live target. Player out of contract in summer.
• #AFCB won’t be increasing rejected bids for Siriki Dembele at #Posh. Out of contract too in summer. (Bids reported by @footyinsider247)
— Kris Temple (@kristemple) January 25, 2022
#AFCB have made an offer worth more than £2m for #Rovers midfielder Joe Rothwell. Rothwell is out of contract in the summer@talkSPORT
— Alex Crook ⚽️🎙 (@alex_crook) January 25, 2022
As per @kristemple #AFCB are inching closer to a deal with #CardiffCity for Kieffer Moore. Cardiff are resigned to him leaving and I would expect this to get done between now and Monday. Would be a sensible addition for the Cherries and offer then an alternative option up front.
— Alex Crook ⚽️🎙 (@alex_crook) January 25, 2022
Your say…
MB1980 wrote…
Things getting interesting it seems. Wonder if we’d choose either Lawrence or Rothwell, not both? Dembele is a different position, so imagine that’s separate to the outcome of those 2 ?
langham added…
If the above rumours re Rothwell and Lawrence are accurate (those sources are usually well informed) we’re looking at a new midfield. If true – that’s just what’s needed. Even one of those would be progress … better news after that awful experience last Saturday.
boscombe botn said…
Do we really need any more central midfield players? We seem to have a glut of quality central midfielders as it is!
Laurence and/or Rothwell might be a marginal improvement in centre mid, but surely our main priority (other than a centre forward) should be pace options down both left and right wings?
Lerma, Kilkenny and Billing seemed to be good enough to help win games earlier in the season and Pearson was very effective when needed, so why are we looking to move away from that?
Surely all SP needs to do is to look at the team line ups for our winning streak, go back to that and use this transfer window to sort out a decent ‘Plan B’!
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