Why Bournemouth should take a punt on Scottish striker Nicky Clark
According to claims from football website The 72 (h/t The Scotsman), Bournemouth have been touted to make a move for striker Nicky Clarke, who currently plies his trade with Dundee United in the Scottish Premiership.
As per the report, the Cherries are on the lookout for options to bolster their squad heading into the January window. The 29-year-old’s impressive form north of the border has catapulted him on to the club’s radar as they seek an immediate return to the Premier League.
Profile
Nicky Clake began his career in the youth ranks of Rangers before completing his footballing education at Aberdeen. However, he never made a competitive appearance for the latter and shot to prominence with Peterhead and Queen of the South in the lower divisions.
The striker secured a return to his former club Rangers in 2013 and helped them secure promotion to the Scottish Championship from the third tier. The Bellshill-born hitman had a brief stint at Bury after spending three seasons at Ibrox before returning north of the border with Dunfermline Athletic in the Scottish Championship.
Clark bagged an impressive 37 goals in 78 appearances for the second-tier outfit over two seasons before moving to fellow Championship club Dundee United.
Clark managed 22 goals in his first two seasons at Tannadice, guiding the club to top-flight promotion at the end of the previous campaign. He has made a positive impression in his first season in the Scottish Premiership this term, scoring 7 times in 15 league appearances for Dundee United so far, whilst also netting twice in the Scottish League Cup.
Nicky Clark could be a useful signing for Bournemouth
Bournemouth have enjoyed a stunning start to life back in the Championship this term after suffering relegation from the Premier League at the end of last season. The Cherries have managed 10 wins and 8 draws from 20 league games so far, leaving them 2nd in the standings.
With Jason Tindall’s side just 5 points adrift of pace-setters Norwich City, they look well on course for a shot at automatic promotion the first time of asking.
The south coast outfit haven’t really been short of goals in the second tier this season. Bournemouth, in fact, boast the best scoring record in the division with 35 goals scored so far. Dominic Solanke has been the top goal contributor for the club with 8 goals and 4 assists in 20 appearances.
The former Liverpool man has been ably supported by the likes of David Brooks, Junior Stanislas, Arnaut Danjuma Groeneveld and Sam Surridge in the final third. But with Joshua King nearing the last six months of his contract and looking set for an exit from the Vitality Stadium in January, Bournemouth can certainly do with a replacement.
Nicky Clarke hardly has the profile to step into the shoes of King at Bournemouth but the Dundee United top-scorer could still be a handy addition to Tindall’s ranks. The 29-year-old only made a handful of appearances of Bury in the Football League earlier in his career, having spent most of his time in Scotland.
Read More
- Why Bright Osayi-Samuel would a great signing for Bournemouth
- Why Bournemouth must sign Stoke City’s Tyrese Campbell in the summer
Verdict
With the striker now proving his mettle in the top-flight north of the border, it would definitely make sense for Bournemouth to offer him a return to English football. The 29-year-old’s contract at Tannadice is due to expire next summer, meaning the Cherries would be well within their rights to contemplate a cut-price swoop for the former Rangers star in January.
