Bournemouth are reportedly set to sign non-league defender Chris Francis, with the talented youngster already training with the Cherries’ senior side.
Bournemouth are on course to make a return to Premier League football this season, with Scott Parker’s side currently four points ahead of 3rd placed Huddersfield Town with two games in hand.
The Cherries can thank some of their academy graduates for their roles in what looks set to be a promotion-winning season, and now, it has emerged from Football Insider that the club are poised to add another young talent to their ranks.
Bournemouth are poised to sign non-league defender Francis, who is said to be already training with the club’s first-team.
The 19-year-old, who plays as a left-back, first emerged on the Cherries’ radar while plying his trade for North Leigh, who play in the Southern League Division One Central.
Parker’s youngsters
There is a clear path to Bournemouth’s first-team under Parker’s management, with a host of academy talents making their way into the senior side since his arrival last summer.
Over the course of this season, the likes of Jaidon Anthony, Jordan Zemura, Mark Travers and Gavin Kilkenny have been consistently involved in Parker’s plans, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if that was a pulling factor for young players to come to Bournemouth. The automatic promotion contenders have an average squad age of 25.1, with only five Championship clubs boasting younger squads (Derby County, Hull City, Blackburn Rovers, Peterborough United, Barnsley).
Looking ahead…
Francis’ proposed arrival is a sign that Parker is keeping his eyes on the long-term future at Dean Court, although their main focus at the moment will be ensuring they return to the Premier League.
Automatic promotion is by no means safely secured, with the likes of Huddersfield Town and Nottingham Forest ready to pounce if Parker’s Bournemouth slip up in their final seven games of the campaign.
