Alex Smithies has arguably been Queens Park Rangers’ player of the season this year in the Championship.
Queens Park Rangers’ Alex Smithies
A report in The Sun has suggested that Bournemouth are interested in signing Queens Park Rangers goalkeeper Alex Smithies this summer.
The Sun reports that the Cherries are keeping a keen eye on Chelsea stopper Asmir Begovic, but if a move for the Bosnia and Herzegovina international fails, Eddie Howe is preparing potential alternative options to pursue.
Smithies is one of the names Bournemouth want after the goalkeeper’s excellent year at Loftus Road, where he has arguably been QPR’s best player by some distance in a largely disappointing season in the Championship.
His shot-stopping ability has often kept his side in games where they have been under considerable pressure.
Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe
One stumbling block to any potential deal however, may perhaps be the fact that Smithies signed a new contract with the Hoops back in February, as confirmed by the club’s official website, that is set to keep him as part of Ian Holloway’s squad until 2020, meaning that it may require a sizeable offer to tempt them into a sale.
But with Rangers set for another year in the second tier, the chance to make the step up may perhaps be too difficult for the 27-year-old to turn down if Bournemouth do end up turning to QPR during the summer transfer window.
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