According to a report from the Daily Mail, West Brom defender Dara O’Shea has been linked with a move to Premier League side Bournemouth after impressing on loan at League Two side Exeter City.
The Irish U21 international has been an excellent addition to Exeter City’s side this campaign as they sit seventh in League Two, and just inside the playoff spots. The defender has made 31 appearances across all competitions for Exeter City, thus also catching the attention of Crystal Palace, adds the report.
Bournemouth have a reputation of developing young talent, with manager Eddie Howe nurturing the likes of Ryan Fraser, Lewis Cook, David Brooks and Nathan Ake. Dara O’Shea also falls into the category of young, promising talent that has a huge potential to fulfil.
That should be enough for Howe to sign O’Shea by beating Crystal Palace in the summer transfer window.
Howe will be disappointed with his team’s performances since the turn of the year. Bournemouth started the 2018/19 campaign brightly but their form has faded. At one point, the Cherries were certain to finish inside the top 10 but injury problems coupled with the poor form of some key players have led to their downfall.
The manner in which Bournemouth have performed post-March 2019 should prompt Howe to make new additions over the summer. One area he should fix first is the defence. Nathan Ake has been the only shining light in defence but has lacked a reliable player alongside him.
Chris Mepham was signed from Brentford in the January transfer window but he is yet to adapt fully to the demands of the Premier League, despite making 12 appearances in the league. The Welshman definitely needs more time and Howe can afford to give him that, hoping to see him comeback stronger next month.
Just how Mepham was a burgeoning talent at Brentford, Dara O’Shea has also shown a lot of promise with his displays at Exeter. His solid displays have also earned him a call-up to the Republic of Ireland U21 side. He is yet to play for West Brom in the Championship but Howe’s scouting of young, hungry and talented English talents rarely has been a miss.
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Undoubtedly, O’Shea is a really talented individual but at 20, the Cherries should view him as a long-term investment. It would be naive to even think that he would break into the first-team next season, considering that the 20-year-old will need time to adjust to the Premier League, just like Mepham.
Without any second thoughts, Howe should get a deal done for O’Shea when the transfer window re-opens.