Can Gosling add a bit of quality to the Cherries' midfield?

Dan has had a bit of a stutter in his career which he will be trying to put right at AFCB. His early seen talent won him several England caps at U17-21 and all looked to be going well for him when he made his first big move from Plymouth to Everton in 2008. I know Everton fans felt that he was a player that was steadily improving although he was sold to Newcastle out of contract. But he had played in an FA Cup final and featured in Europa League matches as well as the Premiership, so he would have been a good signing for Newcastle. For Bournemouth though he is the kind of addition to the squad that surely breathes of ambition and extra quality.

Dan has had his problems with the football authorities and has also had a cruciate knee ligament injury, but Eddie Howe will put his arm around him and make him know that he is wanted at the club. The Cherries will offer him a new start and at 24 he has plenty of years ahead of him to get back into the Premiership. Eddie likes intelligent players and ones that can run with the ball and suddenly hurt teams, as well as those who can find a pass and Dan Gosling I am sure will very quickly become a fans favourite. He also has recent experience of the Championship having been on loan at Blackpool for three months last season even if he did not line up against the Cherries.

What it means for one or two others in the squad is difficult to say, but Shaun MacDonald for sure has another player to try and get in front of while I believe Harry Arter especially may find that Dan is a player that he will be able to learn from, even if it may be at times that he has to learn from the subs bench. The one aspect that the Cherries' centre midfield arguably needed a little more of was power and drive and Gosling will be a player who I believe will be confident in possession and a threat to the opposition's goal. A free transfer is certainly good business for such an experienced player and from 1 July he is set to sign for four years.

Meanwhile, Eunan O'Kane will already know Dan from his Everton days and I am sure the two of them will have plenty to chat about. A potential friendly against the Merseysiders this summer is perhaps one of the first things they will discuss.

Last season at this time we saw Eddie looking to get some Premiership experienced players on loan such as Andrew Surman and Elliott Ward, even if Ward then signed a permanent deal half way through the season. This time around the ante has gone up and he seems to be trying to bring in players to sign permanently, who are still young and full of energy if this signing is anything to go by. 

While Cardiff City's approach for Grabban may be disappointing, AFCB's reach for bigger names has already started and it must be exciting times for Eddie Howe and his staff who have not been in such a position to buy such talent before. If Eddie Howe can do well with League One and League Two players, what can he do with Premiership players? Maxim Demin and the board seem keen to find out.