Eddie Howe targets Wigan winger so is Ritchie going?

And so it starts. Expect the January transfer window to grab a few headlines in the next few weeks. It was reported today by the Daily Mail that Eddie Howe is interested in signing Callum McManaman from Championship side Wigan. The signing would need to be around £5m according to reports, but does thoughts of bringing another winger to the club mean that Matt Ritchie is now likely to depart AFCB?

Matt Ritchie's future - is it still with AFCB?

I have been having a running debate with my friend Damien Hill for several months about the prospect of other clubs coming in for Matt Ritchie. Damien advised his son Deckland not to get Ritchie's name on the back of his new AFCB shirt in the autumn as he said he'll be off in January. Sunderland I believe was the likely destination with Gus Poyet, but I find that a hard one to swallow as Ritchie has been a major part of the Cherries' success and even on bigger money in the Premier League it would be hard for any AFCB player to leave the club in its current position. A move for Callum McManaman though does put a big question mark over the likelihood of one of AFCB's being sold in this window and Ritchie is the obvious choice seeing how well he is playing.

It would need to be a move to a Premier League club for any of Bournemouth's players to be tempted with a move I would think - sorry Fulham fans. The managerial disruption at Crystal palace and WBA may scupper those clubs from making moves for Steve Cook now while Leicester City don't look in a strong enough position to entice our central defender north of the Watford gap. 

Matt is under contract with the Cherries until the summer 2016.

I am pleased to hear that Harry Redknapp has been quiet at QPR and has not sought to pick players from Eddie Howe's team. I'd be more concerned if Tony Pulis found himself back in employment as a manager of a Premier League club, as I think he would have designs on some of Bournemouth's team. AFCB have lots of admirers, but it is arguable that AFCB don't need to spend or sell in this window with the exception of Artur Boruc. That would be great business in my book.