AFC Bournemouth swooped to sign Shane Long on loan from Southampton late in the January transfer window but, interestingly, there was no attempt from the Premier League side to take Josh King the other way. 

The reason for that, according to Football Insider, is because Ralph Hasenhuttl 'doesn't rate the forward' and rejected the opportunity to link up with King.

Instead, King moved to Everton in a late transfer and managed to make his debut last night against Leeds United as the Toffees beat the Yorkshire side 2-1 at Elland Road.

Quiz: Did each of these 18 ex-Bournemouth players ever score a goal at Dean Court?

Hasenhuttl was in the market for a forward late in the window and had the option of signing King from Bournemouth as dialogue between the two clubs was underway given the Cherries' move for Shane Long.

However, as per Football Insider, the Southampton boss instead settled on Takumi Minamino from Liverpool given his view on King, paving the way for the 29-year-old to move to Everton instead.

King hadn't scored in 12 Championship appearances for Bournemouth this season, but boasted a decent Premier League record with the Cherries across five seasons, bagging 48 goals.

The Verdict 

This is quite scathing.

King hasn't quite hit the heights expected of him since stepping back into the Championship, but he's still a very good player and he's been added to a very good Everton squad in the Premier League.

You've got to imagine that he would have been a fairly decent fit at Southampton if that had been his destination. Hasenhuttl maybe felt others were better suited to what he wanted in terms of a striker, but it would be harsh to suggest that King wouldn't have been a decent short-term addition.

In the end, though, everything has worked out well for all parties.

Thoughts? Let us know!