According to Sky Sports, David Brooks has signed a new long-term contract with Bournemouth, which should keep the Welsh prodigy at the Vitality Stadium for the foreseeable future.
The 21-year-old, who made his move to the south coast from Sheffield United last summer for a fee of £11.5 million, has emerged as one of the breakout stars of the Premier League this term. Brooks has made eyeballs turn with his consistently impressive performances for the Cherries under Eddie Howe, with the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United keeping close tabs on the youngster’s progress. (h/t Mirror)
Brooks has been one of the driving forces behind Bournemouth’s successful campaign in the Premier League this term, with the Cherries still very much in the race for a top-eight finish heading into the crunch end of the season. Along with the likes of Callum Wilson, Ryan Fraser, Joshua King, Nathan Ake and Jefferson Lerma, Brooks has been at the centre of everything that Bournemouth have achieved this season.
Brooks came through the ranks of Manchester City and Sheffield United at the youth level, making his senior professional debut with the latter in 2015.
The 21-year-old was held in high regard by the hierarchy at Sheffield and a move to the south coast has really provided him with the perfect platform to take his career to greater heights. In a season where Bournemouth has exceeded all expectations, Brooks has established himself as one of the first names on Eddie Howe’s team sheet, starring with 6 goals and 4 assists from 23 appearances in the Premier League.
Truth be told, Brooks’ contribution to the Bournemouth side hasn’t been merely down to the numbers. The Welshman has not only excelled as the key creative playmaker operating in the hole behind the striker and out wide down the right but he has caught the eye with his defensive contribution as well.
A technically-gifted and tactically-versatile midfielder, Brooks has shown a maturity that belies his tender years in terms of tactical responsibility, movement off the ball, pace and quality on the ball and decision-making, whilst also impressing with his work ethics, commitment and stamina.
Blessed with the perfect blend of physicality, agility and sharpness, Brooks has shown his ability to run at defenders and beat the opposition with his trickery on the ball, often drawing the defenders out from their position to create openings. To add to that, he has a sweet left foot that is capable of testing the goalkeeper from all ranges. Furthermore, he likes to track back and help out his defenders, not afraid to stick his foot out and put his body on the line when required.
Brooks boasts of a good shot accuracy percentage in his debut season in the Premier League, having hit the target on 17 occasions from 36 attempts. The Welshman has also successfully completed 27 of his attempted 44 dribbles, whilst accumulating a total of 21 key passes so far. As an evidence of his work-rate and all-around contribution, Brooks has managed 29 tackles and 20 interceptions in the Premier League this term.
Suffice to say, the Welsh prodigy has already shown strong signs of excellence and few would dare to argue that he is a star in the making. Bournemouth might find it difficult to hold on to him should the big clubs come calling and the decision to extend his contract should have been an easy one for the manager and the club hierarchy. Hence, it is a virtual no-brainer that the Cherries have indeed struck gold by tying David Brooks down to a new contract.