Why Bournemouth should push hard for Ben Davies despite setback
According to Daily Echo, Bournemouth have bid for Ben Davies of Preston North End but the club have rejected that bid since it was not meeting their valuation.
The report also suggests that Bournemouth are keen on the transfer but no progress has been made so far. Manager, Jason Tindall reiterated that bringing in a player is the priority and the club are looking to work on that.
Profile
Ben Davies is a 25-year-old English defender who plays for Preston North End. He started his youth career at Furness Rover but moved to Preston’s youth setup in 2007. After 6 years in the youth teams, he was promoted to the senior side.
He was immediately sent on loan to York City in 2013. A string of loan moves followed after that to clubs like Tranmere Rovers, Southport, Newport County and Fleetwood Town.
It was only in 2017-18 that he became a regular feature for Preston North End. Davies has played a total of 127 games for the club and managed to score and assist 2 goals each (source – Transfermarkt). He has not featured for any of the England youth or senior sides so far.
Do Bournemouth need Davies?
Bournemouth are fresh off a Premier League relegation and have sold one of their most promising players, Nathan Ake, to Manchester City. This leaves them with just three centre-halves in the form of Steve Cook, Chris Mepham and Jack Simpson.
Davies is a left-footed centre-back akin to Nathan Ake. He would be a perfect replacement for the Dutchman. Fairly young for a defender, Davies can be a great addition to the Cherries backline for years to come.
Davies is also an extremely versatile player who can also slot in at left-back. This would allow Jason Tindall some options in defence, in case he wants to switch formations or try out different players.
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Verdict
Davies is an experienced Championship player who is capable of playing in multiple positions. At just 25, he is not at all old for a centre-back. The only stumbling block could be the transfer fee.
Preston North End are holding out for a reported £10million while Bournemouth are said to be offering around £3-5million. Davies is surely a player that Bournemouth need and they should try to wrap up a deal with some negotiation.
