Howe will move to sign former favourite if his top two January targets stay put – Alan Nixon

According to Alan Nixon, Eddie Howe will turn to former Bournemouth favourite Steve Cook if moves for his top two centre-back targets fail.

In his latest ‘exclusive’ for The Sun, Nixon reports that Burnley duo James Tarkowski and Ben Mee are currently Howe’s preferred options, stating he’s keen to add Premier League experience in January.

Both are out of contract at the end of the season, but it’s thought Burnley will demand big money for either in January, with some even reporting that they’d prefer to let them leave on a ‘free’ next summer than sell them to relegatiom rivals.

As for Cook, he may be a leader and someone Howe trusts, however he has struggled for game time in the Championship this season and wouldn’t offer the quality on the ball or athleticism our defence sorely lacks.

With him out of contract next summer and struggling for starts under Scott Parker, here’s what Cook said about his future last month:

“Obviously for myself at the moment, a really difficult time being out the team, out of the squad. It’s really difficult for myself,” he said.

“I think I have missed 20 games in six years. I am probably approaching 20 games in one season at the moment. It’s definitely different for myself.”

He added: “Initially my future is… at the moment, I can’t say. There’s no real thoughts at the moment – I am kind of still desperate to contribute but we will see what happens.”

About Olly Hawkins

As a Junior Magpie since birth and season ticket holder, I eat, sleep and breathe all things NUFC! Here at the blog, I aim to bring you news, views, match reports and transfer exclusives as and when I get them.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *