da brdice： It’s that time of the year where the Premier League transfer rumours are flying about as managers try to improve their squads before the EUROs. It’s of massive importance that some transfers are cleaned up before the tournament as some players’ values will rise dramatically if they have a good run in France, so many see it as a race before the first game kicks off.
da poker： But sadly, one player that isn’t in Roy Hodgson’s England squad is Bournemouth striker Callum Wilson, who was cruelly ruled out for the majority of the season with a serious knee injury. Wilson netted five times in seven appearances for the Cherries before sustaining the long-term injury, but that hasn’t stopped the talk linking him with a move away from the Vitality Stadium.
Many expected Eddie Howe’s side to struggle without their chief striker and whilst they did well without the former Coventry City man, they may have finished even higher if Wilson was around for the entirety of the season. In the games that he did play he looked fantastic, with some even touting him for the England squad back in August and September.
But even after sustaining the injury, he has been linked with a move to both Liverpool and Tottenham, and now West Ham have reportedly had a bid rejected for the 24-year-old as well. Whilst he didn’t find the net in the five games he has played since returning to fitness, he surely won’t have put either Jurgen Klopp or Mauricio Pochettino off from making a move either.
But what could the striker bring with him if he does make a move? Blistering pace would be a good place to start. Wilson’s speed seriously frightens defenders and the best example of this we saw at the start of the season was during the Cherries’ 4-3 away defeat of Europa League-chasing West Ham. He scored a hat-trick that day and it was then some neutrals really saw how good he could be.
The former England Under-21 striker scored 23 goals for the Cherries last season as his side were promoted from the Championship and anyone that scores that many goals at that level is going to be a real asset. The Championship is an uncannily difficult league, and his ability to find the back of the net is going to be his biggest asset wherever he ends up playing. There is little doubt he would have continued to bang the goals in at the Vitality Stadium if he’d remained fit.
But what he needs now is to find maximum fitness and try and stay clear of injuries. Whilst the knee injury he sustained was entirely unlucky, Wilson has only had two seasons where he’s played over 35 league games. So since beginning his career back in the 2009/10 season, he’s only managed two seasons where he has been playing consistently week in, week out, and that is a potential worry.
If he stays injury free then the sky really is the limit for Wilson. After a tough season I’m sure there will be a few people that will be happy to see the former Coventry man get the move he so richly deserves.
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