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Friday, 1 September 2017

Transfer deadline day passes with no major traumas for AFCB

There was a good possibility that the Cherries would allow a couple of players to leave in this summer window and it was of little surprise that Adam Federici joined Nottingham Forest on a permanent deal, and Marc Wilson eventually beat the deadline to play for Sunderland. The first team was otherwise unscathed, despite Wolverhampton Wanderers putting in a £15m bid to try and recapture Benik Afobe. Aaron Ramsdale also attracted interest from Rochdale and Wycombe Wanderers, according to sports journalist Pete O'Rourke. AFCB did allow U21 Matt Worthington to join Yeovil Town on loan and U21 Mihai Dobre got to join Bury until January, but all the major gossip was on whether AFCB tabled a £25m or £27m bid (plus £3m add-ons), depending on which source you wanted to believe, for Leicester City's Demarai Gray.
Adam Federici has left AFCB to join Forest.
I took a passing interest in deadline day, checking in now and again to see if there was much movement, but with Eddie Howe reluctant to say much more than his business has been done early, there was little optimism of a big late deal stunning fans at Dean Court. A potential wow factor might have come from Jack Wilshere resigning, but that was a fairly long shot. 

Much better really was the news, earlier this week, that Josh King had signed a new four-year deal. AFCB have not got a big squad and it was crucial to ensure Josh King was made to feel appreciated after his goal tally of last season with Tottenham and Everton reported to be sniffing a potential striker signing. While Josh has not scored this season, his qualities and importance to the squad are highly appreciated by everyone at Dean Court and his signature would have been what sensible AFCB fans would have most wanted when the season ended last May, rather than hearing AFCB would smash its transfer record on a young Leicester winger who had previously turned the Cherries down when he had been at Birmingham City.

With Benik Afobe having started in two of AFCB's three Premier League games this season there was a clear indication that Eddie Howe sees the DR Congo striker as having a part to play in this season's campaign, so I felt Wolves' fans were always going to be disappointed if they saw Benik as the striker who would be prepared to drop down a league to rejoin them. It didn't stop Wolves from making a bid though, which hopefully makes Benik feel good about himself if nothing else. Any way we need him to be available to keep the Nathan Aké song going strong!

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In essence it was a quiet final day of the transfer window for AFCB, but at least it gave the club a chance to tell everyone that the new third kit would be out this week. They could have used Rhoys Wiggins, as he is still perhaps wandering what his role is at AFCB!

PremierTalk – The window shuts but not everyone got their move

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