Bournemouth Opinion: Cherries should move for Jack Butland this summer
According to Sky Sports, Bournemouth have joined the race to sign Jack Butland from Stoke City in the summer, with manager Eddie Howe keen to bolster his options between the sticks.
Butland has been in impressive form for the Potters in the Championship this season and has managed 14 clean sheets from 38 appearances.
A youth product of Birmingham City, Butland spent time on loan at Cheltenham Town before being snapped up by Stoke in 2013. The Englishman enjoyed fruitful loan spells at Leeds United and Derby County before establishing himself as Stoke’s No.1 between the sticks.
He hasn’t looked back since then and has taken his career to greater heights, earning 37 clean sheets in 124 appearances across all competitions.
A regular for England at all youth levels, Butland has also won 9 caps at the senior international level and represented the Three Lions at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
However, with Stoke looking set for another season in the Championship, Butland might eye an exit in the summer to join a Premier League club.
Meanwhile, Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe has preferred the 39-year-old Artur Boruc between the sticks in the Premier League since the turn of the year.
Asmir Begovic started off as the No.1 following an impressive season last time around but the former Chelsea man has been relegated to bench duty since January. Towards the end of the January transfer window, the Sun claimed that Begovic was not in Howe’s plans for a first-team spot and the Cherries were willing to listen to offers for the 31-year-old.
Boruc has done a decent job between the sticks but Bournemouth’s interest in Jack Butland definitely makes a lot of sense. The 26-year-old is regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in the country and the Cherries would strike gold by getting their hands on the coveted shot-stopper.
Standing at 6ft. 5 inches, Butland has just the ideal height for a goalkeeper, with his long arms giving him a good reach to keep out shots from all ranges.
The Englishman boasts of razor-sharp reflexes and excels with his composure in one-on-one situations, whilst his ball handling is also of the highest quality. The 26-year-old communicates well with his defenders and always seems to have things under control inside his penalty area.
Butland has made a total of 104 saves from 38 appearances in the Championship this term, 52 of which have come from inside the penalty area including 5 from within the six-yard box.
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Bournemouth have enjoyed a decent run this season but they should look to build on it and aim for better things next season. They don’t have the best of defensive records, having conceded 56 goals from 31 games and Butland’s presence between the sticks should help them improve massively.
