Has Arter got a future at Bournemouth?

The news that Lewis Cook has signed a new deal at AFCB may mean that Eddie Howe is agreeable to letting one of his long-serving midfielders go. Harry Arter may well have decided that his career will not be continued at the Cherries having seen his place in the team taken by Lewis Cook.

Will Arter be at Dean Court next season?

The signs that Harry has not been happy this season are all too easy to read. He has been suffering with an Achilles heel problem all season and he has not been able to play with his characteristic intensity that sees him press the opposition into mistakes. More recently we have seen him hand over his football academy to Simon Francis which may be the first sign of him severing links with the local area and when he was forced out of the team he did say he would have to speak with Eddie if he did not play before the end of the season in the closing games.

Things might have been made more urgent if West Ham United had not sacked their manager this month. Having expressed an interest in Harry, West Ham have been seen as the most likely destination for the player.

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Harry has still managed to get a cal up for the Irish squad despite his problems, but it is at AFCB where he will need to decide this summer if he wants to fight for his place.

Harry was seen coming on the pitch at Dean Court after the final whistle of the Swansea City match. He acknowledged the chant from the North stand singing "Number 8, Number 8, Harry Arter", but I felt that it was almost a goodbye chant from the fans who sang it with a slightly sad feel to it. The emotional attachment to Harry runs deep with the fans knowing his personal tragedy that he and his partner have gone through and Harry's fight to get back from non-league to the football league. His desire to play in the higher divisions was achieved at Bournemouth and he and Eddie Howe go back a long way.

So, if Harry does decide to move on it will be a huge personality lost from the club. There won't be another Harry Arter.


Premier League Football Fan Survey
Jack Stansfield is studying a master’s degree in sport and exercise psychology at Northumbria University and he has created a thesis project that looks at Premier League fans’ team identification, i.e. how well they support and identify with their team. He needs fans of all Premier League football clubs fill out a relatively short questionnaire of 37 questions looking at team identification and satisfaction with life; it should take no longer than 10 minutes. If you can participate please do by clicking this link.