Bournemouth and Norwich City are battling it out for free agent defender Gary Cahill, it has been reported.
Seems like a straight shootout between #NCFC and #AFCB for Gary Cahill.
— Alex Crook ⚽️🎙🇺🇦 (@alex_crook) August 16, 2021
Cahill, 35, is available for nothing this summer after his departure from Premier League side Crystal Palace.
Reports emerged at the weekend revealing Bournemouth were sizing up a deal for the veteran centre-back as Scott Parker looks to bolster his defensive options (The Sun on Sunday, 15.08.21, pg. 63).
However, it has now emerged that the Cherries appear to be in a “straight shootout” with Norwich City for his signature.
READ: Bournemouth star showing no interest in departure amid Premier League links
As reported by talkSPORT’s Alex Crook, Bournemouth and the Canaries are in a tussle for Cahill’s signature.
The former England international is a free agent, so he is free to negotiate with potential suitors over a possible deal.
Experience at the very top
There will be few free agents with as much pedigree as Cahill, having spent much of his career playing at the top of the game.
He played 61 times for England, also notching up 290 appearances for Chelsea in his seven-and-a-half years at Stamford Bridge.
Cahill has won the Premier League twice, the FA Cup twice, the Europa League twice, the League Cup once and the UEFA Champions League once. He was an important part of those cup-winning sides too, being named in the PFA’s Premier League Team of the Season on three occasions.
Bournemouth’s current centre-back options
As it stands, Scott Parker has the likes of Steve Cook, Lloyd Kelly, Zeno Ibsen Rossi and Chris Mepham available as options at centre-back.
Another player at centre-back wouldn’t go amiss, so it will be interesting to see how their rumoured pursuit of Cahill pans out.
