Cherries to chase special defender?

So far the transfer window has just seen attack-minded players come into the team. AFCB will surely add a left back but there has also been rumours of right back Kieran Trippier being on AFCB target list, although Spurs and Liverpool are also supposed to be keen on the Burnley defender. Whether another experienced centre back would also improve the side is also a consideration and while Silvan Distan looks set to go back to France rather than join another Premier League club from Everton, he is the kind of player that would add quality and confidence to a newly promoted side like AFCB.

Central defence is an area where I feel all three recently promoted clubs from the Championship could benefit from a major signing. If the Championship was all about scoring lots of goals, the Premier League will shatter teams that can't keep clean sheets. Elliott Ward is the experienced hand at the back, but his lack of games last season puts a lot of pressure on Steve Cook and Tommy Elphick to continue their good form in a more difficult league. Tommy is a good organiser, but this will be a bigger test. Individual mistakes will cost teams and I'd like to see another experienced player come in if the club can find one. Martin Skrtel at Liverpool is likely to sign a new contract at Anfield, Ashley Williams at Swansea City is already their captain and would not entertain a move, nor would captain John O'Shea at Sunderland who signed a two-year extension in October 2014, and I'm not to keen on that many more central defenders in the Premier League (including Jose Fonte) . 

Perhaps Eddie and Jason are happy with what they have. Jason Shackell at Burnley is a player that they know well, but did he do well enough last season? Some say yes. The Championship does not offer many alternatives and not many of the Championship defenders did well at keeping out AFCB's strikers last season. So it is rumoured that AFCB among other clubs (Saints) have been looking at Nantes centre back 27-year-old Papy Djilobodji.

If you look at the bottom six finishing Premier League teams you might find it hard to find many centre backs in those teams that you would give much confidence of doing better next season. Even WBA who finished 13th with experienced defenders like Lescott and had a minus goal difference of 13. Liverpool and Spurs only just managed a positive goal difference despite finishing in the top six, so keeping out goals is going to be just as important as finding goalscorers for AFCB. The keepers that Eddie has brought in have both been to the Premier League grounds and know what it will all be about though and that has to be a help.