Bournemouth’s Joshua King has been linked with Tottenham – but Paul Merson has mentioned Everton as a possible destination.
Paul Merson
Pundit Paul Merson has told Sky Sports that he thinks Bournemouth will struggle to keep hold of attacker Joshua King this summer – and wonders whether Everton could be interested.
King, 25, hit six goals last season having joined the Cherries from Blackburn Rovers in the summer of 2015, and few could have predicted such a remarkable season from him this term.
King scored the winning goal in Bournemouth’s 2-1 win over Burnley on Saturday afternoon, taking his tally for the season to 16 goals in 36 Premier League appearances.
The Norwegian international has blossomed under Eddie Howe, becoming a striker with an end product to go along with the pace and power that has previously made him so dangerous.
Formerly of Manchester United, King’s stock has never been higher – and speculation surrounds King’s future ahead of the summer transfer window.
Bournemouth’s Joshua King scores
The Daily Mail recently reported that Tottenham Hotspur are interested in signing King this summer as they look for support around Harry Kane, with Bournemouth allegedly looking for a fee of at least £15million.
Now, pundit Paul Merson has told Sky Sports that he thinks Bournemouth will find it difficult to keep hold of King having impressed so much in 2017, and suggested that Everton should be looking at him if Romelu Lukaku leaves the club this summer.
Bournemouth’s Joshua King celebrates
However, Merson did also note that King is playing in an attacking setup at Bournemouth, and that may not be the case if he moves elsewhere, suggesting that the Vitality Stadium is a good place to play football right now.
“They’re going to have a fight to keep King, having scored 16 goals for Bournemouth,” said Merson. “If Lukaku goes, could you take King to Everton? He’s got 16 goals but Bournemouth do play two up front, they have a go everywhere they go, so that 16 goals could easily become six or seven if he goes and moves somewhere else next season, where he’s playing up front on his own, playing on scraps. It’s a good club, Bournemouth – I think it’s a good place to stay and play your football,” he added.
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