Following relegation from the Premier League, it has truly been the end of an era at Bournemouth, as Eddie Howe decided to leave the club. The Englishman had personified the south coast club, making over 200 appearances for them as a player, and then managing the club across two separate spells for over 450 games. His second spell in charge had seen them rise from obscurity in League One to a fairytale promotion to the Premier League back in 2015. The fact that Bournemouth managed to stick around in the top flight for five seasons, playing an attractive brand of football, speaks volumes about Howe’s managerial ability. Now, however, it is an opportunity for Jason Tindall, his longtime assistant, to step up to the role and try and guide the Cherries back to the Premier League.
Bournemouth have already seen Nathan Ake depart for Manchester City, although the Dutchman was probably on his way out of the club even if they had stayed up. Tindall will likely have to contend with a host of other departures, not least the two star forwards Callum Wilson and Josh King. Wilson will want to be playing in the Premier League to have the best chance of making the England squad for next year’s Euros, while King’s contract expires in less than a year and so the Cherries will have to sell him in this window to get any fee. Goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale is set to return to Sheffield United in a £18.5 million deal as well, while veteran Artur Boruc has also departed to join boyhood club Legia Warsaw on a free transfer. Up front, Bournemouth will still have Dominic Solanke and Sam Surridge, both of whom should be good options in the Championship. However, there will be a need to add depth to the squad if they want to compete over the long and brutal season in the second tier, with the Cherries being touted as one of the favourites to make the jump back to the Premier League immediately at several betting sites, including sportwetten-deutschland.de.
Jordon Ibe and Ryan Fraser have already left the Vitality Stadium upon the expiry of their contracts, while Harry Wilson has gone back to parent club Liverpool. That leaves David Brooks, Junior Stanislas and Arnaut Danjuma as the only wingers at the club. Brooks is likely to see a lot of interest from clubs, while Stanislas has had a troublesome injury history, and Danjuma is raw and had an injury-hit debut season. Club stalwarts Simon Francis and Andrew Surman have been released, while Charlie Daniels’ contract has also expired, although he is training with the club to prove his fitness and earn a new deal. With Surman’s departure, it is likely that youngster Gavin Kilkenny will get a chance to nail a first-team spot. In general, Bournemouth are not under too much financial pressure to sell, but will not stand in the way of offers for some of their players as a reward for their commitment during the club’s Premier League stay.
Looking at the squad, it seems like the club’s priority should be to recruit forwards, wingers, a left-back and a central midfielder. While there are quite a few options available from the Championship and elsewhere, Tindall will begin his Bournemouth tenure with a squad that will look quite different to the one he has been used to coaching alongside Howe for the last few years.
