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La Liga Leaks: Scouting for.. AFC Bournemouth

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Now I know what you’re thinking, “Isn’t La Liga Leaks about news and rumours in the Spanish press?” And yes, you’re right, it is. However over the next couple of weeks I’m going to go through each Premier League side, identify their weaknesses and offer suggestions as to players from La Liga who could help strengthen their squad.

A brief overview

First up is AFC Bournemouth, who we’ll just call Bournemouth from now on, and obviously Eddie Howe has done a fantastic job at the club but there are a few holes in his squad that need to be filled. Avoiding relegation was the preseason remit - as I’m sure it will be again this year - and they did just that. By the end it became a lot closer than I’m sure they would’ve liked but the fixture list wasn’t kind in their final eight matches: Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United making up five of them.

Problem areas

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Well, for Bournemouth, what sticks out like a sore thumb is the amount of goals they conceded last season. Now it was a more open than usual Premier League but either way, 67 is just too many. In fact, only Aston Villa conceded more (76). After speaking to a few fans of the club, they all seem to think the defence lacks any type of leadership. When it went wrong, it generally turned into catastrophe.

Lewis Cook has obviously been brought in to improve the midfield but they could probably do with another body in the middle, someone who can offer the defence a bit more protection in a league where sides tend to be top heavy as it is.

Artur Boruc, an experienced goalkeeper, isn’t known for leading the troops either and in between the sticks is another area where they could look to improve.

Who could they sign?

Well, they’ve missed out on a couple who I would have recommended in the likes of Raul Albentosa at centre back and Guillermo Ochoa to be their number one goalkeeper. However, let’s not go down the route of Bullseye’s “Look what you could’ve won..” and focus on some players who are still out there.

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Gustavo Cabral is coming off the back of a stellar season for Celta Vigo and would have the leadership skills required at the back, being one of their vice-captains. He’s not the fastest and that might be a worry but he’s very apt at reading the game and times his tackle to perfection. Asking him to give up Europa League football at the age of 30, having just signed a new contract, might be a step too far but I sense he could be tempted.

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The second option would be Real Betis’ German Pezzella. The Argentine defender is again not the fastest around but he’s great in the air, doesn’t mind sticking his foot in and would also be a threat from set pieces. He wouldn’t be used as a ball-playing defender but more of a no nonsense, get rid “Ave it!” type.

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Further ahead in midfield, in terms of who could offer protection, the best option would be Ignacio Camacho of Malaga. He’s been one of the best defensive midfielders in La Liga for the past two seasons and the only slight against his name would be his recent injury record. He made a notable difference to the side when he returned last year and is someone of the Grzegorz Krychowiak ilk, who isn’t a limited holding midfielder as he’s capable of bombing forward and causing damage at the other end too.

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If not Camacho, who’d cost around £14m, maybe someone like Pedro Mosquera from Deportivo. He turned down a move to Valencia last January but it all went wrong for both him and the club in the final six months as they ended up flirting with relegation after spending a lot of time in the European places early on. He’s classy on the ball, never switches off and wouldn’t shirk the defensive responsibilities either.

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As for the goalkeeper situation I’d recommend Antonio Adan. The former Real Madrid man, currently at Real Betis, had one of his best ever seasons last time out, almost forcing his way into the Spain squad. He’s often spoke about wanting to play in the Premier League some day and, albeit not perfect, he’d prove to be an upgrade on what they currently have.