This article is part of Football League World’s ‘The Verdict‘ series, which provides personal opinions from the FLW writers regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…
Bournemouth are set to compete with Rangers for the signing of Emmanuel Longelo this summer.
According to the Sun, the Cherries are keen to add the West Ham defender to their squad as they prepare for life in the Premier League next season.
Here we ask our FLW writers their verdict on if this would be a good fit for Longelo and Scott Parker’s squad…
Josh Cole
Whereas Bournemouth will need to add to their squad this summer in order to bolster their chances of achieving a relative amount of success in the top-flight next season, they should avoid taking a risk on Longelo.
Yet to feature in the top-flight for West Ham United, the left-back's only senior appearances to date have come in the League Cup and the Europa League.
With there being no guarantee that he will be able to cope with the competitiveness of the top-flight, Longelo may struggle to make an impact at the Vitality Stadium if Bournemouth opt to swoop for him.
If the Cherries are looking to strengthen their options in this particular position, they ought to be looking to sign an individual in the upcoming window who has a proven track-record at this level.
Declan Harte
This could be a good long-term addition to Parker’s side, but it doesn’t particularly boost their chances of Premier League survival.
The first team squad should be the Cherries’ priority for now, but if a reasonable fee can be agreed then this is still a good prospective signing.
Longelo certainly has a bright future ahead of him, but he has been unable to break into the Hammers’ lineup under David Moyes.
Perhaps a loan move to the EFL would be the best next step for him in his career, but he could yet still play a role in Bournemouth’s season if this move does happen.
Adam Jones
At 21, he could be a decent long-term addition for the Cherries but considering the lack of first-team experience under his belt, they should be looking elsewhere at this stage.
It just feels as though a more established Premier League option is needed to provide Jordan Zemura with some stiff competition on the left-hand side, potentially helping to give the club the best possible chance of remaining in the top tier.
The left side is an area that clearly needs to be addressed and they may be able to negotiate a cheap deal for him which is ideal considering they need to address other areas.
But this may have been a better move if they were still in the Championship.