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After Tuesday night’s win over Huddersfield, Bournemouth were struck by the news that star midfielder Lewis Cook would be out for up to nine months after rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. With a Europa League spot well within their sights, they will need a replacement…
What’s the word, then?
Well, the 21-year-old England international will obviously miss the remainder of the season, and as a result, miss the Cherries’ charge for a place in Europe following their scintillating start to the season.
With the exception of £25m summer signing Jefferson Lerma, Eddie Howe doesn’t really have many top midfielders to cover for Cook; Andrew Surman and Dan Gosling are available, but neither of them are a patch on the crocked youngster.
Seeing as this injury could seriously derail the South Coast side’s season, Howe must dip into the market in January for some quality cover in that central midfield area without breaking the bank. There is one player who he could lure to the Vitality Stadium who knows the Premier League well and wouldn’t be too expensive…
Who should they get in and why?
Former Swansea star Jonathan de Guzman is currently enjoying his football over in the Bundesliga with Eintracht Frankfurt after struggling at Napoli, and appears to fit the style of play that Howe prefers to a tee.
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The Dutchman has scored twice and recorded three assists in all competitions this season from a centre-midfield position. Specifically, the 31-year-old excels at holding the midfield together with his composure on the ball, as well as his concentration off it.
Like Cook, he is a decent set-piece taker and has that ability to unlock defences with excellent vision and execution of key passes. He has all the making of an exquisite January arrival seeing as he would need almost no time to settle in, and could well be the difference maker in the Cherries’ push for Europe.
Would you like to see de Guzman on the South Coast? Have your say down below…