Can AFCB hold on to Wilson?

How does the sound of Callum Wilson lining up against AFC Bournemouth on 8 August sound to you? It was with a sense of dread that I heard Liverpool were prepared to shell out some £32.5m for Christian Benteke to bring him to Anfield. The consequences for AFC Bournemouth may have looked minor at the time but in the back of my mind I knew that Tim Sherwood would have to act fast to bring a replacement into Aston Villa and he has already shown interest in the Cherries' lead marksman.

Callum Wilson is hopefully keen to stay at AFCB.

If Aston Villa are prepared to spend a fair amount of their money for the sale of Benteke and Delph then the prospect of AFCB holding onto Callum Wilson are probably slim. While everything as well as could be expected in the current transfer window the thought of losing Callum would be a hammer blow to AFCB's chances of Premier league survival. One player is never bigger than a club they say, but when Lewis Grabban left the Cherries it was maybe great scouting but certainly good fortune that brought Callum to the club where he has been nothing short of sensational.

The fact that Wilson is signed up with AFCB until 2018 is unlikely to deter the strongest of bids if Villa do want to make a move, but there is not much more that the Cherries can do to protect their main striker. Whether Wilson's own personal preference is to stay with Eddie Howe and this title winning squad for at least the start of his Premier League career is a matter that only Callum and his agent will probably know. If the Cherries do hold on to him having staved off any bids over this summer there will be another window of opportunity to fend off in January when Callum has hopefully already shown what a great player he can be at this level.

There comes a time though when losing a player at the wrong time becomes a hindrance. It would be bad news to lose Callum at anytime, but two or three weeks before the start of the season and to a Premier League rival is not a situation that leaves me with much satisfaction.