Bournemouth winger Arnaut Danjuma can reach the very top if he continues to develop, Cherries boss Jonathan Woodgate has told the Daily Echo of the reported Southampton and West Ham United target.
If there’s one player to actually benefit from 2020’s heart-wrenching relegation, it’s the winger snapped up from Club Brugge two years ago.
Danjuma looked out of his depth during his debut season in the Premier League. But, since dropping down to the Championship, the twice-capped, £14 million Netherlands international has been a man reborn, revitalised, rejuvenated and other words beginning with ‘re’.
In 21 starts, Danjuma has produced ten goals and four assists for a Bournemouth side fighting Barnsley, Brentford and co for a play-off place.
And, with The Sun reporting West Ham and Southampton are plotting summer bids, Woodgate will know, deep down, it will be exceedingly difficult to keep hold of his free-scoring wideman if promotion slips through Bournemouth’s fingers.
“He can go as high as he wants to,” says Woodgate. “But he’s got to always want more, always try to be the best.
“If something doesn’t go right in a game, be disappointed, try to improve constantly – and that’s what he’s doing.
“I’m really pleased and I’ve been very impressed. I had high expectations of Arnie, really high expectations.
“He seems in a good place. He’s confident and working really, really hard for the team now, which I think is important. If you add that to your game, you can only get better. He’s got a lot of ability.”
With three more years left on his contract, Bournemouth aren’t exactly under pressure to cash in on Danjuma.
But player power is king these days and, as Josh King showed, top-level players will always do whatever they can to force their way back into the promised land of the Premier League.
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