According to a report from Football Insider (h/t The Star), Bournemouth are lining up a summer move for Stoke City striker Tyrese Campbell. The England youth international is also a target for Celtic and Rangers.
Campbell, 20, came through the youth ranks at Manchester City. The striker then made the switch to Stoke City’s youth setup in 2016. He impressed heavily for the Potters’ U18 side, bagging 9 goals in 12 matches, earning a bump up to the reserves. Till date, he has scored 28 goals in 48 games for the U23 side.
After a short loan spell at Shrewsbury Town in 2019, he has become a first-team regular at Stoke. Till date, he has 38 senior appearances for the club, in which he has netted 9 goals and 3 assists.
Bournemouth, meanwhile, have endured a difficult 2019/20 campaign. The Cherries are staring at the prospect of relegation, as they are seated 18th in the Premier League table.
Eddie Howe’s team have struggled for goals over the course of the season. They have netted 29 times so far, with only four teams managing to score fewer than them. Bournemouth have four strikers on the books currently in Callum Wilson, Josh King, Dominic Solanke and Sam Surridge.
Wilson has done fairly well, scoring 8 goals. But the others have failed to make a strong impression,, as King has just four goals, while Solanke is yet to open his account in the league. Furthermore, King has been heavily linked with an exit from the club. Hence, bringing in a new centre-forward would be a wise move for the Cherries.
Having said that, Stoke City’s Tyrese Campbell would be a viable option for Bournemouth. The 20-year-old has been in good nick over the last couple of years. He netted 15 goals in 35 matches last season, that includes his time out on loan at Shrewsbury as well as his contributions for Stoke’s reserves.
The youngster has carried on in the same vein of form in 2019/20 as well, bagging 11 goals and 3 assists in 30 matches for the senior team and reserves combined. In addition, he also has two goals in two matches for the England U20 team, for whom he made his debut in November last year.
Campbell’s signing would add more firepower to the Bournemouth attack, while also increasing the depth within the squad. Especially if King ends up leaving in the summer.
Bournemouth have been goal-shy over the course of the 2019/20 campaign. Hence, boosting their attack in the summer should be a priority, especially if one of King or Wilson leave amid interest. To that end, signing Campbell would be a good move. The 20-year-old would add depth to the squad and with experience, can grow into an important player in the future.