Pondering Bournemouth’s Potential Summer Transfer Business…

Pondering Bournemouth’s Potential Summer Transfer Business…

With the season drawing to a close and the summer transfer window imminent I thought that there was no better time to discuss how AFCB’s transfer business may look this summer…

Departures 

For potential departures, I have placed them into 4 categories: The Big Ones (players who have played significant minutes this season), Trimming the Fat (those who have played minimal minutes or been loaned out), Loans (young players who need minutes in senior football) and Unlikely Outgoings (those with a chance of leaving all be it unlikely).

The Big Ones 

Lloyd Kelly

It seems to be clear that the departure of Lloyd Kelly is imminent with his contract expiring in the summer and turning down any proposals made by AFCB. At this stage, a reunion with Eddie Howe seems like the most likely outcome with Fabrizio Romano, a well-respected football journalist, reporting that “Kelly, priority target as #NUFC are optimistic to make it happen very early in the summer”. I believe that this will be AFCB’s biggest loss this summer with Lloyd clearly being a leader within the dressing room, formally being club captain and captaining the side on the pitch twice this season. To add to this his performances have probably been his best since the beginning of Scott Parker’s tenure and certainly his best in the Premier League.

Philip Billing

This departure would be the one that would hurt me, and many other Cherries fans, the most with Philip being one of my favourite players at the football club since Jonathan Woodgate’s spell at the football club in the 2021/22 season. This said I think it is apparent that Philip Billing is not the archetype for an Andoni Iraola player, lacking some of the tenacity off the ball possessed by the midfielders preferred to him. If Philip is to leave this summer, I’d imagine it to be the largest sale of the summer with Philip previously attracting interest from Newcastle, Atalanta and West Ham. With the more bit part role Philip has played this season I don’t imagine that the loss will be felt too heavily and the funds sales from the sale should hopefully open up the possibility of some exciting incomings.

Chris Mepham

A loyal servant of the football club it feels like Chris Mepham’s time at AFCB has come to its natural conclusion. Having only played 613 minutes in the league so far this season I believe it is probably best for both parties to split at this stage. With just a year remaining on Chris Mepham’s contract and his potential suiters probably being top-end Championship clubs, I think the fee for Mepham will be nominal.

Trimming the Fat 

I will speak on these outgoings in detail; for all of them, it is clear that based on this season, their future does not remain at AFCB.

• Ryan Fredricks
• Jaidon Anthony
• David Brooks
• Joe Rothwell
• Jamal Lowe
• Kieffer Moore
• Gavin Kilkenny
• Hamed Junior Traore
• Emiliano Marcondes

Loans 

Again, I will not speak in detail for these as they are self-explanatory.

• Will Dennis
• Michael Dacosta Gonzalez
• Owen Beven
• Ben Greenwood
• Noa Boutin
• Dominic Sadi
• Daniel Adu-Adjei

Unlikely Outgoings 

Milos Kerkez

There have been murmurings of Chelsea’s interest, which seems to be reciprocated by the player. I have placed the deal in the unlikely column because of the fee that Bournemouth would ask for and the fact that I do not believe him to be a priority for Chelsea. This said there is certainly a possibility of his exit and I have no doubt that if Chelsea stump up the cash, he would jump ship at a moment’s notice.

Neto

Club captain Neto has had a season with numerous high-profile errors, which has meant he has found himself dropped in favour of Travers in recent weeks. Despite this, I think unless a keeper were to come in over the top of him he will remain at the club and contend for the number 1 shirt with Travers. There is one goalkeeper who I believe could possibly join the football club and make his departure imminent but I shall touch on that when going over potential signings.

Dominic Solanke

Dom is someone who is now being monitored by the elites of the Premier League but with a multitude of factors such as nothing being concrete in terms of interest, the fee needed to get him out of AFCB being substantial, and the fact he has only performed at this level for one season, will put many off making the signing. This said some of the clubs interested in him have the financial muscle and status to get almost anyone in world football. So while not impossible, I believe that Dom remains at least past this Summer.

Potential Targets

Ronnie Edwards

The first player that I believe AFCB should target is Ronnie Edwards the England U20 international, Peterborough United Player of the Season 2021-2022, EFL League One Young Player of the Season 2023-2024 and UEFA European Under-19 Championship winner. Ronnie Edwards accomplishments at just 21 years old are quite staggering and I think it is these which make him the perfect candidate to be AFCB’s 4th centre-back. This bit-part role would be ideal for him to get acclimatised to life in the Premier League and should also allow James Hill to flourish becoming the undisputed 3rd choice centre-back. As a player, Ronnie Edwards is a cultured centre-half probably better on the ball than when defending with his passing range standing out whenever I have watched him play. This is no surprise with Ronnie being an English youth international where the “England DNA” has been put in place to create a more cultured and technically proficient generation of players. In terms of a fee, it was reported by The Independent newspaper in January 2024 that Peterborough were holding out for £10 Million but with his contract only having 1 year remaining and Peterborough failing to get promoted it is not impossible to think that this asking price could be chipped. All this taken into account I believe a price of £8 Million would be enough to get Ronnie Edwards away from Posh.

Luca Netz

Next up I recommend young German left-back back Luca Netz. This year has been his breakthrough year having arrived at Borussia Mönchengladbach from Herta Berlin in 2021 but he was struggling to cement a spot in the team until this season. Luca is a full-back who excels going forward far more than he does going the other way. Proof of such is the 2.8 shot-creating actions per 90, which places him in the 82nd percentile for fullbacks in Europe’s top 5 leagues and his 0.2 XG+XA Per 90, which places him in the 83rd percentile for fullbacks in Europe’s top 5 leagues. The additions of Max Aarons and Milos Kerkez last Summer show that the offensive capabilities of our fullbacks are valued more than their defensive prowess. Being just 20 years old, and operating at such a high level already Luca seems like the perfect candidate to come in to replace the departing Lloyd Kelly being more of the flying fullback associated with this Andoni Iraola system.

Matt O’Riley

Probably the best player in the SPFL at this moment Matt O’Riley has been brilliant for Celtic adding goals to his game this season and sitting at an impressive 14 in the league. I think adding this to his ability to create is what makes him the perfect candidate to play that Number 10 Role for AFCB. O’Riley’s profile matches up closer to the kind of player Andoni had played the role at Rayo Vallecano as opposed to Justin Kluivert. I think it has been made clear that Andoni wants to move to a more traditional Number 10 favouring Alex Scott in recent weeks to Justin Kluivert in the role. In terms of the fee needed to tempt him away from Celtic, I think somewhere between £20 – £25 Million would be required, as he is under contract until 2027, leaving Celtic in a position to ask for top dollar.

Aaron Ramsdale

The idea of Aaron Ramsdale returning to AFCB has been spoken about in the fan forums since David Raya came in and replaced Ramsdale at Arsenal as first choice keeper. Ramsdale is now clearly being available and the performances of Neto have not been at a brilliant level this season. If Neto were to

leave and Ramsdale replaced him, despite the nearly decade age gap Ramsdale is or at least was a big voice in that dressing room and somewhat of a leader as shown when he spoke about the possibility of becoming captain “Just to be told ‘you’re in a leadership role’ – I’d relish whatever. You never turn down a captaincy and I think I’d excel if I was given the armband, but that’s down to the boss.”. Now in terms of the fee I think a fee of around £25 Million would get him out of Arsenal considering that he has not played for a season and seemingly does not have any suitors from Europe’s elite. This would be by far the punchiest and highest profile signing but distinctly possible given the circumstances, and his previous ties to the football club.

What that leaves the squad looking like…

Here is a list of all positions and the depth there, players in brackets are to show they’re covering other positions.

Goalkeepers:

Neto/Ramsdale, Travers, Randolph

Right Backs:

Smith, Aarons, (Hill)

Centre Backs:

Senesi, Zabarnyi, Hill, Edwards

Left Backs:

Kerkez, Metz, (Dango)

Central Midfielders:

Cook, Christe, Adams, Scott, (O’Riley), (Faivre)

Attacking Midfielders:

O’Riley, Faivre, (Scott), (Christe), (Kluivert)

Wingers:

Dango, Kluivert, Semenyo, Tavernier, Sinisterra

Strikers:

Solanke, Unal, (Semenyo)