Why Jacob Bruun Larsen would be a good signing for Bournemouth
According to Sky Sports (h/t Daily Mail), Bournemouth have entered talks with Borussia Dortmund over a potential loan deal for Danish winger Jacob Bruun Larsen, with boss Eddie Howe keen to bolster his injury-ravaged squad before the January deadline.
The 21-year-old Denmark international has slipped down the pecking order at the Signal Iduna Park under current manager Lucien Favre and is prepared to keep his options open during the mid-season trading period, with his contract at Dortmund set to expire in the summer of 2021. (Sky Sports h/t Daily Mail)
Larsen has made just 9 appearances in all competitions for Dortmund so far this term. The starlet did bag an assist in the club’s 4-0 victory over Leverkusen back in September whilst also playing cameos in the Champions League fixtures against Barcelona and Inter Milan.
A youth exponent of Danish club Lyngby, Larsen was snapped up by Dortmund back in 2015 and the winger spent a couple of years in the academy of the Bundesliga giants before making his senior league debut back in 2017.
Larsen, who made his senior international debut for Denmark last year, previously spent half a season on loan at Stuttgart before establishing himself as a useful squad player at Dortmund. The winger made 24 appearances across all competitions last term, scoring thrice in the process but he has suffered a significant fall from grace this season.
Now, as per the report, Dortmund are prepared to sanction a departure for Jacob Bruun Larsen before the January deadline with the club valuing the player at around £12.8million at the end of the campaign.
Meanwhile, Bournemouth slipped further down to 19th place in the table after an unimpressive 1-0 defeat at the hands of relegation rivals Norwich City in the Premier League on Saturday.
The Cherries are only three points adrift of safety in the Premier League but they have only managed a solitary win in their last 12 league outings.
It has been a collective failure. Ryan Fraser, who was the second-highest assist-provider in the league last season, has failed to deliver the goods while other key attackers like Junior Stanislas and Joshua King have missed large quarters of the campaign due to injuries. Callum Wilson has been lacklustre in front of goal this season.
David Brooks is yet to kick a ball this term and is still on the comeback trail from a long-term injury layoff while summer recruit Arnaut Danjuma Groeneveld has also endured an injury-stricken start to his life on the south coast of England.
Verdict
To put things into perspective, Bournemouth need to improve their goalscoring record in the second half of the campaign if they are to preserve their Premier League status. And a loan deal for Jacob Bruun Larsen would be a shrewd piece of business.
Primarily a right-footed wide player, the 21-year-old is versatile enough to play through the middle and also on the other flank. All in all, Bournemouth completing a loan deal for Jacob Bruun Larsen before the end of the month would be useful.
