Eddie Howe: 'Wholesale changes at Bournemouth not necessary'

Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe during the Premier League match against Sunderland on April 29, 2017
© SilverHub
Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe says that work has begun ahead of next season, with the Cherries looking to bring on board "a few players" in the summer.

Eddie Howe has admitted that he is already planning for next season as he attempts to freshen up his Bournemouth side for their third campaign of Premier League football.

The Cherries are as good as safe in the top flight, sitting 10th in the table and nine points above the relegation zone with just three games left to play.

Howe was unable to bolster his squad in January, instead losing Nathan Ake to Chelsea in the only major piece of activity, but he intends to tweak things slightly in the summer with the addition of a few new faces.

"It would be foolish of me and the recruitment team not to be looking at next season. We are planning and preparing and doing a lot of work," he told the Bournemouth Echo.

"I always believe that in every window you should try to refresh the squad in some way. January was very quiet for us with more outs than ins, so we would like to do something in the summer and try to find a new way to take the team on.

"You don't want to make too many changes where you lose your identity and I don't think we have ever done that. I think we have remained very loyal to the core of the squad which has done very well for us.

"But, hopefully, we can add a few players who can make a difference. There will not be wholesale changes, I don't believe we need that. We just need, if we can, to find something which can make us better."

Bournemouth have recently been linked with making moves for Chelsea legend John Terry and Sunderland striker Jermain Defoe.

Eddie Howe watches on during the Premier League game between Tottenham Hotspur and Bournemouth on April 15, 2017
Read Next:
Bournemouth in hunt for Terry, Defoe?
>
You May Like
Recomended from Sports Mole



Tables
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Chelsea35273575294684
2Tottenham HotspurSpurs35238471234877
3Liverpool362010671422970
4Manchester CityMan City35209670373369
5Manchester UnitedMan Utd351714451272465
6Arsenal34196966422463
7Everton3616101060411958
8West Bromwich AlbionWest Brom35129144145-445
9Leicester CityLeicester35127164554-943
10Southampton34119143944-542
11Bournemouth36119165265-1342
12West Ham UnitedWest Ham36119164559-1442
13Stoke CityStoke361011153952-1341
14Burnley36117183751-1440
15Watford35117173758-2140
16Crystal Palace36115204661-1538
17Swansea CitySwansea36105214169-2835
18Hull City3697203669-3334
RMiddlesbrough36513182648-2228
RSunderland3566232860-3224