According to the Daily Mail, Bournemouth are eyeing a move for West Brom starlet Dara O’Shea, with Premier League rivals Crystal Palace also interested in signing the promising youngster in the summer.
The 20-year-old came through the youth ranks at Hawthorns and spent time on loan at non-league club Hereford last season, before joining Exeter City on loan for the current campaign.
O’Shea has made a total of 22 appearances for Exeter in League Two and has impressed manager Matt Taylor, with his consistently solid displays at the heart of the defence, with the Daily Mailreporting that the 20-year-old has been tipped to go all the way by his current manager.
O’Shea’s fine displays have earned him a call-up to the Republic of Ireland U-21 side, but it remains to be seen whether West Brom will loan him out for another season or keep them in their ranks to challenge for a spot in the first-team.
The 20-year-old looks like a real talent and it would not be a surprise to see him switch boats to Bournemouth at the end of the season, given that the Cherries have carved out a massive reputation for signing promising young players from the English league system in recent years.
Eddie Howe is well-known for his ability to spot emerging talents and the manager has shown an inclination to build a strong core of homegrown youngsters, as he continues to propel Bournemouth to greater heights in the Premier League.
Lewis Cook arrived from Leeds United in 2016, followed by David Brooks from Sheffield United last summer and Chris Mepham back in January from Brentford.
Brooks has made a massive impact in his debut season in the Premier League for the Cherries, while Mepham has also established himself as a regular at the back since his arrival earlier in the year.
To put things into perspective, Dara O’Shea might be the next big football league talent to make his way to England’s south coast in the summer.
The 20-year-old is yet to play for West Brom in the Championship but Howe is apparently convinced that the youngster has all it takes to make an impact in the top-flight in the foreseeable future.
Bournemouth are currently well-stocked in their central defensive options, with the likes of Nathan Ake, Steve Cook, Chris Mepham and academy product Jack Simpson all in the ranks at the Vitality Stadium.
The Cherries would need to make a call on the future of Tyrone Mings once his loan spell at Aston Villa expires at the end of the season, while holding on to Ake might get tougher for the Cherries, as the Dutchman continues to be linked with moves to some of the top clubs in the Premier League.
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Undoubtedly, Dara O’Shea is a really talented player but he is one for the future and Bournemouth should look at him as a long-term investment. It would be unrealistic to imagine that he would break into the first-team next season, considering that he would need to step up three divisions to do so.
Nevertheless, the Cherries should not hesitate to strike a deal for the emerging starlet this summer.
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