NEWPORT, WALES - SEPTEMBER 30: Jonjo Shelvey of Newcastle United battles for possession with Scott Twine of Newport County during the Carabao Cup fourth round match between Newport County and Newcastle United at Rodney Parade on September 30, 2020 in Newport, Wales. Football Stadiums around United Kingdom remain empty due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in fixtures being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Nick Potts - Pool/Getty Images)
According to Twitter claims from The Sun journalist Alan Nixon, Bournemouth are among a host of Championship clubs keen on securing the services of Swindon Town midfielder Scott Twine in the January window.
The reputed insider has also mentioned Brentford, Reading, QPR and Luton Town among the potential suitors for Twine, who is out of contract at the League One side next summer. Swindon, though, are hopeful of holding on to their academy graduate by convincing him to put pen to paper on fresh terms.
A youth exponent of Swindon, Scott Twine signed his first professional contract in March 2017 and made his professional debut in League One on the final day of the 2016-17 campaign. He went through a loan spell at Waterford in Ireland sandwiched by a couple of temporary stints at Chippenham Town in the National League South to further his development.
Twine joined Newport County in League Two this past summer and made a massive impact for the fourth-tier promotion hopefuls. An impressive tally of 6 goals in 7 assists in 19 league appearances prompted Swindon to recall the attacking midfielder earlier this month.
The youngster has quickly established himself as a starter under Richie Wellens and scored a 30-yard screamer to guide Swindon to a 3-2 win over Ipswich. Twine has contributed with a goal and an assist in 2 appearances in League One following his return.
Bournemouth are currently pretty well stocked in the creative midfield department. David Brooks remains a key cog in Jason Tindall’s set-up despite widespread speculations linking him with a move to Aston Villa in the top-flight.
The Cherries have done exceedingly well to keep hold of the Welsh international following their relegation from the Premier League. But they are expected to find it hard to retain his services should they miss out on an immediate return to the top-flight.
Dan Gosling and Junior Stanislas are also out of contract at the end of the season. The Cherries should, therefore, weigh up alternatives with one eye on the future. A potential deal for Scott Twine, to that end, would hand a sizable boost to the club’s long-term plans.
A promising young No.10 by trade, the 21-year-old ticks several boxes as a like-to-like replacement for Brooks at the Vitality Stadium. That coupled with his versatility to operate anywhere across the attacking third should also help Bournemouth cope with the impending exit of Joshua King.
Scott Twine is not quite the finished article just yet but has already started to deliver on his potential in the lower echelons of the Football League. He looks capable of making the transition to the Championship with proper guidance and maybe even to the top-flight in due course of time.
With his contract at Swindon due to expire next summer, Bournemouth should fancy their chances of nabbing him for a knockdown price this month. The Cherries have an excellent track record of developing young homegrown stars and Twine looks like a player in a similar mould with plenty of room for improvement.