Bournemouth Opinion: Connor Roberts could be the ideal long-term replacement for Simon Francis
According to Bournemouth Echo, Bournemouth are interested in signing versatile Swansea City defender Connor Roberts in the summer transfer window, with reports claiming that manager Eddie Howe is keen to add more depth to his defensive options.
Bournemouth Echo also understands that the Cherries are weighing up a £10 million raid on the Swans for the 23-year-old Welsh international, who was one of the club’s standout performers in the Championship this past season.
The move, if it materializes, will be Bournemouth’s second big signing of the summer transfer window following the £13 million acquisition of highly-rated left-back Lloyd Kelly from Bristol City just a week ago.
A homegrown talent held in high-regard- Roberts certainly fits the profile of players that the Cherries like to target in the transfer window and it won’t be a big surprise to see the 23-year-old arriving on the south coast ahead of the upcoming season.
Roberts made a total of 45 appearances for Swansea City in the Championship this season, contributing with 5 goals and an assist, as Graham Potter’s side finished 10th in the standings and missed out on the playoffs.
This was only the youngster’s first full season for Swansea, having broken into the first-team in the Premier League in the second half of the 2017-18 campaign on the back of successful loan spells at Yeovil Town, Middlesbrough and Bristol Rovers.
The 23-year-old, who has been capped on 9 occasions by Wales at the senior international level, is noted for his versatility to play on either side of the backline. While he is essentially a right-back by trade, Roberts is also adept at playing as a left-back and further up the pitch as a right-winger.
The Welsh prodigy caught the eye with his consistently impressive performances in his breakthrough season and a move to the Premier League looks very much on the cards, with Bournemouth ready to swoop for the talented youngster.
A fast, sharp, agile and hardworking wide player noted for his high levels of stamina, uncompromised work-rate and tenacity, Roberts covers every blade of grass down the flanks and contributes equally to both defence and attack.
Calm and composed in possession, the Welshman not only catches the eye with his technical abilities, pace and trickery on the ball, but he is also quite good at holding the ball up with his back to the opposition.
The 23-year-old responds pretty well to the transitions in play and is more than capable of breaking up the play with tackles and interceptions, whilst also possessing well-rounded passing and crossing abilities to make an impact on the other end of the pitch.
To put things into perspective, Bournemouth already have an excellent track record of raiding the Championship for homegrown British talents and it is not difficult to see that Connor Roberts could be another handsome addition to their ranks this summer.
The Cherries conceded as many as 71 goals in the Premier League this past season and investing heavily in their defensive options certainly makes a lot of sense, as Howe looks to shore up his leaky backline ahead of the upcoming season.
Nathaniel Clyne has returned to Liverpool after the expiry of his loan spell, while 34-year-old Simon Francis is still on the recovery trail following a serious knee injury that he suffered back in December.
Adam Smith is versatile enough to play on either side of the backline but Howe needs to bring in at least another right-back to ensure that he has the perfect balance in his squad.
Roberts, with his versatility to play as a full-back on either side of the backline and also as a winger further up the pitch, should help boost Bournemouth’s team dynamics massively.
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The 23-year-old still has plenty of time to make significant improvements to his game and it would be fair to say that the Cherries should start looking at him as a long-term successor to the likes of Simon Francis and Adam Smith.
