According to Football Insider, Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl knocked back a deadline day switch which would have resulted in striker Josh King departing the Vitality Stadium for St Mary’s.
Despite Shane Long expectedly joining Bournemouth on deadline day, Josh King completed a switch to Merseyside as he signed for Everton, ruling out any potential notion of a swap deal.
The Cherries will ultimately view offloading the Norwegian as excellent business. Brought in from Blackburn Rovers in 2015, King enjoyed an impressive spell on the South Coast notching 53 goals in 184 outings. However, the 29-year-old underwent a frustrating last few months on the South Coast as he failed to score a solitary goal in his 12 appearances for the currently managerless outfit.
Undoubtedly, Bournemouth had little choice other than to part with their once star player. The frontman’s contract was due to conclude at the end of the 2020/21 campaign, meaning the promotion chasers were running the risk of losing the Norwegian international on a free transfer.
Reportedly obtaining a £5 million fee for King, Bournemouth sidestepped their worst-case scenario and actually made a tidy profit on the pacey forward. Gaining an experienced replacement in Republic of Ireland icon Shane Long, there is real scope that they can finish the season convincingly as they aim to regain a spot in the top-flight at the first attempt.
Alongside January arrivals Jack Wilshire and Ben Pearson, the Cherries have enjoyed a fruitful transfer window and have strengthened key areas of the side. Bournemouth fans will expect their new recruits to hit the ground running starting with the visit of Birmingham City on Saturday
