Transfer Centre

Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe: 'It's vital that we keep Callum Wilson'

By Danielle Joynson, Staff Reporter | 30 April 2015

Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe tells Sports Mole that it is vital that the club keep in-demand forward Callum Wilson for their Premier League debut.

Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe has issued a warning to any potential suitors of Callum Wilson that the forward is not for sale.

The 23-year-old is believed to have attracted interest from 10 Premier League clubs, including Tottenham Hotspur and Southampton.

West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce, who was also rumoured to be considering a swoop for Wilson, rejected speculation on Thursday by claiming that the forward is "too expensive".

Wilson, who joined the Cherries from Coventry City for a reported £3m figure last summer, has scored 22 Championship goals so far, which has helped push the club to automatic promotion to the Premier League, which will almost certainly be confirmed on Saturday.

"I think it's important that we keep all our best players," Howe told Sports Mole. "We can't go into the Premier League and lose players - that's one thing that I'd make very clear to everybody. We need to keep our best players and build on that to have any chance of winning games at that level.

"The likes of Callum and the other guys will always be linked with clubs because they're playing very well. We'll be very determined to keep them."

Bournemouth all but secured promotion with a 3-0 win over Bolton Wanderers on Monday evening due to their superior goal difference over third-placed Middlesbrough, but they can still clinch the title by beating Charlton Athletic this weekend as they are just one point behind Watford.