An eventful transfer window for AFCB – to say the least

Until just a few years ago, transfer windows were something to be feared as an AFC Bournemouth supporter – they were something to survive, not be excited by. With little funds to hand we rarely bought in anyone beyond loans and cast-offs. How times have changed.

This January window we splashed the cash in spectacular and decisive fashion, bringing in two new strikers early on in the window. Our main signing was Benik Afobe from Wolves, and seeing my club spend an alleged 9-10 million pounds on a single player is - in a word - bizarre. It still hasn’t sunk in to be honest, even though we spent a similar amount for Max Gradel.

What a signing he’s been so far though, scoring 3 goals in 4 and looking like a natural finisher. He may not be an exact clone of Callum Wilson, but in my eyes that is a very good thing indeed - as it means when Wilson comes back we could have a front two as good as almost anything in the division.

Then there’s Lewis Grabban. A signing that could, at best, be labelled a bit of a punt - especially if the 7 million pound price we paid is accurate. Although he is clearly loved by many of our team from his previous time with us - just see their reactions on Twitter as proof - it’s a lot of money for a player that does not have Premier League experience or age on their side.

He could well be a good squad player, but it’s hard to see him forging a way into the first eleven - but I’ve underestimated Eddie Howe’s ability to push players to levels they’ve never reached before, and would be loved to be proved wrong here. He clearly wants to be at the club and he possesses the work-rate required to fit in immediately with the rest of the squad.

The strangest element of this transfer window from an AFCB perspective is that we could actually be an attractive proposition for a player such as AS Roma’s Juan Iturbe though - someone who was labelled by many “the new Messi” just a short time ago. Although only a loan signing - with an term being in place for us to potentially sign him permanently when the season’s over - he could add a unique attacking facet to our team.

I say ‘could’ as, so far, he’s been far from eye-catching. Looking lost when bought on against West Ham United - and then being largely invisible against Portsmouth in the cup (one shot aside) he clearly needs time to both adapt to the pace of the English game and our style of play. In a relegation battle we time to blood in such players is scarce though, and there’s the fear he won’t get many opportunities to impress unless his performances improve - and quickly. He has looked willing to get stuck in when it comes to slide tackles and defensive duties though, so I remain hopeful he’ll come good.

Our fourth signing was without doubt the most controversial of the bunch however - Rhoys Wiggins from Sheffield Wednesday for a rumoured £200,000. Signed as cover for left back Charlie Daniels, the reason this signing is more than a little contentious is that Wiggins didn’t leave on the best terms when he left AFCB for Charlton back in 2011. Publicly stating he wished to leave the club and generally annoying fans with his behaviour, it’s fair to say he’s not the most popular signing amongst our fanbase.

It’s arguably a slightly worrying signing too, as he was hardly lighting up the pitch during his time at Sheffield Wednesday - so if Daniels does get injured he could be a very exploitable weak point in our side. Still, it’s hard to think of many players we could have bought in that would accept they’d be (most likely) spending the duration of the season on the bench - and Rhoys is clearly a player Howe is a fan of, even if many of our supporters aren’t.

Overall then, this January transfer window has been a success for the club, and not just because of the players we’ve signed. It’s also been pleasing because it shows how much of a desire the people at the club - be they Maxim Demin or Matt Hulsizer - have to invest in the squad and improve us moving forward.

There’s also the fact that we we didn’t lose any of our key players. Yes, it was a shame to see Yann Kermorgant head off to Reading – but I think all AFCB fans knew his opportunities would be few and far between, and I hope he does as well for The Royals as he did for us.