Bournemouth missed out on promotion after looking dead certs at one point and then after a late rally losing to Brentford in the play off semi finals, this will signal the departure of several of their players, but will Saints be in the market for a cut price signing or two from the Cherries.
After failing to get promoted back to the Premier League at the first attempt, AFC Bournemouth find themselves in a tight position, they will need to cut the wage bill and they will find that a player or two will want to move back to the Premier League.
They will also find that in a normal season getting a decent fee would be hard enough with club's knowing that they need the money, but this summer will be a lot tighter financially than others due to the current pandemic and it will probably be more about slashing the wage bill than getting in big fee's, so is this an opportunity for Saints close to home and do they have anyone we would truly want.
One player who is already being linked with Saints is Arnaut Danjuma Adam Groeneveld, or to give him the name on the back of his shirt Danjuma.
The 24 year old winger was born in Nigeria but grew up in Holland where he started with PSV Eindhoven, however he failed to make the grade there and moved to NEC and then on to Club Brugge where after one season and two caps for the Netherlands he was signed by Bournemouth in August 2019 for a fee of around £13 million.
His first season at the club was not a total success, he would be blighted by two long injury lay offs, firstly for a hamstring and then a broken foot and he would play only 14 games with no goals or assists and his season reflected Bournemouth's as they went down on the final day.
But last season in the Championship was a lot better for Danjuma, he would start 29 games plus another 4 as sub scoring 15 goals and assisting in another 7, he would also play in both play off games scoring in each.
Certainly when I watched Bournemouth beat Swansea at home on the TV ahead of their match against Saints in the FA Cup he looked a handful, scoring one goal and assisting in another in a 3-0 win.
I thought he was going to be the man to watch out for a few days later when we headed across the New Forest, but although he blustered he was kept in check whichever wing he ventured down, so from this perspective it is hard to decide whether he is truly Premier League quality or just another fast player who can fly down the wing in the Championship but hasn't got that last bit in his locker to become a star in the Premier league, certainly we handled his pace well in the main.
Danjuma is valued at around £12 million according to Transfermarkt and if they did go for him then Saints could presumably get him for less in the current climate and could also use Shane Long who spent the second half of the season on loan there as a bargaining tool, although I think Long is more interested in a move to a club nearer West London.
Another who could be of interest is David Brooks currently with Wales in the Euros, his contract is up next summer so Bournemouth may be in a hurry to sell as they could lose him for nothing in 12 months time, he is currently valued at £16 million by Transfermarkt, but given his contract he could go for a lot less than that and could cost less than Danjuma.
Watching Brooks he seems to have a lot more guile than Danjuma, he can use the ball intelligently and can also play not only as a winger but as an attacking central midfielder or a striker.
Brooks ankle injury meant that he missed the Cup tie with Saints and a chunk of the season, but he still started 25 games in the Championship plus another 7 as sub, scoring 5 goals and assisting in another 6.
Both players will be being looked at by Saints, but whether we make a move will depend on whether we can offload a wide player or two ourselves, both Nathan Redmond & Moussa Djenepo had average seasons last year and also Theo Walcott will join permanently and although Ralph Hasenhuttl will want another wide player, he knows he can only buy in that department if he offloads.
Also when you consider the game that Nathan Redmond had against the Cherries in the FA Cup he completely overshadowed Danjuma, does that tell us something
Danjuma & Brooks are two Bournemouth players who could fit the Saints mould, they both have a little experience at the highest level and they are both young enough to have their best years ahead of them and more importantly they are both in our price bracket, but the question is are they any better than what we currently have and even if they are then out wide is not a priority position to improve in.