Is Lee Tomlin on the way out?

Earlier in the week, Neil Perrett at the Bournemouth Echo broke the story that Lee Tomlin could be offered in a player/cash deal to attract Leeds' midfielder Lewis Cook to Dean Court. Social media seemed to be driving this rumour though, with Alex Nixon of the Sun only writing that AFCB were renewing their interest with a player and cash for the talented 18-year-old at Leeds. Now the Daily Mail has identified Leeds Utd and Hull City to be definitely interested in the former Middlesbrough striker.

Is Lee Tomlin facing the exit door at AFCB?

Tomlin’s fortunes have not been a big success yet at Bournemouth, but he has only just really come back from injury and has not had a series of games to get match fit. While the signings of Lewis Grabban and Benik Afobe have perhaps pushed him further down the pecking order, he has only been at the club some six months and such a fast turnaround would suggest that Lee is not the player the Cherries expected him to be, if they are not going to give him more of a chance.

Even though Eddie Howe is keen to keep as many of his squad as he can, while hoping to make progress in the FA Cup, as we as bolster options for the Premier League run-in, we have already seen Yann Kermorgant and Elliott Ward depart the club this week and there could be more out-goings this January. 

It does appear that the squad needs trimming, perhaps as much for financial fair play as much as for the wages. While Josh Wakefield is having a trial at Walsall and Filippo Costa has gone back to Chievo with his loan cut short and Joe Bennett returned to Aston Villa, there have not been more than a trickle of players coming off the wage bill. AFCB have spent big already this week and some balancing of the books is probably in order.

While a move up to Yorkshire would perhaps be closer to the northeast and Lee Tomlin's former Middlesbrough haunts, any move for him at this stage would appear to admit that it has not worked out for him moving down south. As a club that prides itself on bring on players and getting the best out of them, I think it would be a real shame if Lee's time with the Cherries is cut short. Yet, if he has been told chances for him will be limited then he has every right to try and get some games elsewhere.