Has Begovic been singing AFCB striker's praises?

The news remains concentrated on who AFC Bournemouth will sell next and Italy appears that it could be the destination for one of Bournemouth's established strikers. I don't know if Asmir Begovic has been talking Josh King up but AC Milan, where Begivic was on loan this summer, are sad to be interested in the Norwegian strikers, reports the Daily Mail.

Josh King is expected to be bid for soon.

This could hurry up Josh King's sale as Man Utd and PSG are also said to be monitoring the situation. They are all big European clubs that will be in the Champions League next season and King may get the biggest move of the summer for a Bournemouth player in terms of pedigree of new clubs. If such clubs are interested in King it is a bit surprising that they haven't come in for him earlier with good bids. Josh has been highly valued by AFCB, but the quality of the player is now being seen by the clubs he is being linked to.

Advertisement

Eddie Had a Dream -now just 9.99!

I think Josh King is very hard to replace because of his versatility. He is pretty much the complete striker and in a more powerful team I expect he could become an even bigger name. I hope he stays in England as I'd like to see him play more often than not, but the money will surely decide where he ends up.

Advertisement

Coastal Garden Buildings

I see him as the perfect support striker for a number nine and he has been a great penalty taker for the Cherries. Losing him will be disappointing but I can't see how he can stay. Whether the mid-table teams like Everton or Newcastle can get a foot in to take Josh King I am not so certain. If Europe's elite are looking at him, he is likely to be playing Champions League football next season and I wish him the every best as he has been a great servant for AFCB.

Advertisement

Eddie Had a Dream eBook version -£7.99!

Previous post on Cherry Chimes - Fraser and Wilson strike force to be kept together?

AC Millan edge out the Cherries 1-2 in Cummings' Testimonial

AFCB 1 v 2 AC Milan

Warren Cummings' Testimonial

2 September 2016

Dean Court was the stage for an epic meeting this afternoon of two red and black teams as a testimonial was played between AFCB and AC Milan for Warren Cummings. There was little goal mouth action first half but in the second Milan went ahead after Suso scored, but it was quickly equalised by Lys Mousset who scored his first goal for the Cherries. Within second of the restart though Jordan Holmes brought down Niang who then scored from the penalty box. But the day was all about Warrren Cummings and there were great cheers when he came on and made his first pass with 10 minutes of the game to go. Always a favourite with the home crowd it will have been a great pleasure to many to have seen him wearing the AFCB kit once again.

A chance to think about yesteryear for AFCB fans.

AFCB's XI was very popular as it included a debit for Jack Wilshire and Tyrone Mings made his first start since being injured last season against Leicester City. Emerson Hyndman would also make his debut in front of a home crowd and it was the first chance for Junior Stanislas to stretch his legs. Finally, Ollie Harfield made his first team debut at left back.


OFFICIAL TWEETS from AFCB and AC Milan

01: We are underway here in the rain at Vitality Stadium! Warren Cummings is amongst the subs. Come on #afcb

9' Sosa fires a shot wide of the far post from distance

05: Chance! Wilshere involved, he beats his man on the right, squares for Grabban who slices an effort in the box wide!

15: A third of the way through the first half, #afcb on top in the rain. Grabban's chance the most clear cut of yet. Still 0-0.

17: Great effort! Wilshere curls a lovely left footed shot towards the bottom corner, but Gabriel does well to keep it out!

17' Gabriel springs to his right and claws the ball away

25' Niang's shot won't trouble Allsop

30: Good chance! Pugh's deflected effort reaches Grabban who hits an effort which cannons off the defender from eight yards! 

40: Five minutes to the break. #afcb are still in the ascendancy but haven't created a glaring opportunity.

43: Save!! Milan's first chance, Niang was slipped in one-on-one but Allsop stands firm to deny the striker's low effort

44' Allsop does well to keep out Niang's shot

HALF TIME: #afcb 0-0 #Milan - Cherries on top in @wcummings28's testimonial but no goal to show for it.

52: Afobe gets down the left hand side, steams into the area and his high shot forces Gabriel into a decent stop.

55: Grabban slides the ball through to Stanislas and in the area from an angle, he has an effort well blocked. Better!

55' Paletta makes a vital intervention in the box
56: Stanislas cuts in from the left and puts in a dangerous ball which Mousset just misses in the middle! Unlucky!

58: Another good #afcb chance! Afobe finds Stanislas who slips in Mousset who is free but he's well tackled when about to shoot in the box!

60: Hyndman cuts in from the right and hits a low effort which is straight at Gabriel from 20-yards. Cherries upping the tempo.

61: Now Mousset goes close! He smashes a low effort in the box which fizzes just wide of the far left corner. #afcb well on top!

61' Mousset drags his effort wide 

62' OUT Lapadula IN Zanellato

64' Gooooooal! @suso30oficial! #afcb vs #ACMilan 0-1

GOAL for @acmilan. Suso buries it. #afcb

64: Suso picked the ball up on the edge of the box and curled a precise effort into the bottom left corner. 0-1 against the run of play.

GOALLLLLLL for #afcb!!! Mousset smashes one in!!!

65' Goal @afcbournemouth, Mousset #afcb vs #ACMilan 1-1

65: His first goal for #afcb! Mousset smashes an effort from the edge into the right corner of the net! Lovely strike!!

PENALTY to @acmilan.

66: What a few minutes... Niang was brought down by Holmes in the box. Niang will step up....

GOAL for @acmilan. Niang converts. 1-2.

67' Gooooooal! @MBaye9Niang! #afcb vs #ACMilan 1-2

68: McCarthy has been booked for a late challenge on La Ferrera.

71: Save! Suso gets free in the area and hits an effort which Holmes manages to claw away.

72' Holmes keeps out a close-range strike from Suso

79' OUT Gabriel, Pasalic IN Plizzari, Curto #afcb vs #ACMilan 1-2

80: Sub for #afcb - Warren Cummings is coming on to a massive reception!! He replaces Harfield.

81: Cummings' first touch, a simple pass, is met with huge cheers!

83: Crossbar!!! Pugh swings in a cross, Mousset rises highest and powers a header from eight yards against the bar!! Still 1-2. #afcb

84' Brilliant fingertip save by Plizzari!


90: @MMJBournemouth's man of the match for today.... Number 28... Warren Cummings!


90: Post!! Buckley swings in a ball which Mousset meets and hits the post! In the melee after, the ball was blazed over!

90' OUT Abate IN Pobega

Full Time / Fischio Finale #afcb vs #ACMilan 1-2!

FULL TIME: #afcb 1-2 @acmilan - Mousset scores his first as #afcb appreciate club legend @wcummings28.

AFCB XI
Allsop, Stanislas, Mings, Jordan, Harfield, Gosling, Hyndman, Wilshere, Pugh, Grabban, Afobe

AFCB Subs
Holmes, Buckley, Cummings, Lee, McCarthy, Worthington, Dobre, O'Connell, Ndjoli, Mousset


AC Milan
Gabriel; Abate (C), Ely, Paletta, Vangioni; Pasalic, Sosa, Suso, Niang, L.Adriano, Lapadula

AC Milan Subs
Plizzari Curto Spinelli Zucchetti Careccia Pobega Zanellato La Ferrara

AFCB are in good company with AC Milan

While from the outside there is only the shirt that puts AFCB in the same kind of company as AC Milan, there has always been a vision that the Cherries could become a side that was good enough to play against the Rosseneri as equals on the same pitch. The fanbase, stadiums and price-tags of the players may be a world apart, but the riches of the riches of the Premier League has already started propelling the Cherries closer towards the world status of giants in the game like AC Milan.

For Warren Cummings, this Saturday must seem a million miles away from the sides he used to run out against in League Two just a few years ago. The Cherries were never high achievers and winning the Associate Members Cup was about as good as it got, but the trophy cabinet is looking rather crammed full these days and Warren will look back on his career I hope as having played an important part in putting AFCB on the right course during the years when there simply was no money at the club and everything was a struggle.

AFCB welcome AC Milan to Dean Court.

Warren was club captain and spent some 10 years at AFCB and left in the May of 2012 just before Eddie Howe returned in October that year to guide the Cherries to promotion and the Championship. This is a chance for AFCB fans to give him a proper thank you for his time at the club and it is great that he is still playing at Havant & Waterlooville, where Lee Bradbury is still the manager. Warren may not be a Paulo Maldini but he was always proud of the AFCB shirt and played with great passion and humour.

So who should we look out for in the AC Milan team? I imagine it will be a full first team so we could see Alessio Romagnoli who is a defender that was chased by Chelsea this last transfer window and is valued at more than £35m. Jose Sosa is a midfielder that many will recognise as the Argentine has been playing in Europe for a while now and is 31. But this is a transition team with Vincenzo Montella being charged with rebuilding a side that only finished 12th last season in Serie A. Don't be surprised if the Italians find AFCB a hard team to break down. 

AFCB checking Italian-based players de Guzman and El Shaaraway

The Football Italia site reports that Jonathan de Guzman is considering undergoing surgery and terminating his Napoli contract. The midfielder has been linked since last summer with the Cherries but if the Dutch international does go under the knife he is unlikely to be wanted by AFCB who need to bolster their squad for the Premier League run-in.

The Cherries have already added Juan Iturbe to their midfield ranks but Dan Gosling and Andrew Surman were the last recruits to the central midfield area. Much of the transfer talk has been on defenders and forwards, although the club has not made known any transfer targets.

The Football Italia site also reports that AFCB is keen to see if it can beat AS Roma to the signing of AC Milan player  Stephan El Shaaraway. The striker is an Italian U21 player and has been on loan at Monaco who had first option to buy him after 25 games, but they dropped him after he played 24 times. A similar loan deal to the Juan Iturbe deal could see the €14m rated player come to the Premier League on loan.