With a fine breakthrough season for Bournemouth this year, Arter has attracted the attention of teams higher in the English footballing hierarchy and is reportedly being tracked by Norwich and Swansea. With 32 appearances this season and scoring a total of 8 goals, including the winner in Eddie Howe’s return to the cherries against Tranmere Rovers and then probably the most important goal in his career and Bournemouth’s season, the winning goal that scored the last game of the current season against Carlisle. At the age of 23 and his career mainly being made up of loans to teams such as Staines town and Welling United, it does appear he is coming of age at Bournemouth and is relishing being a key figure in the south coast clubs plans and only signed a new long term deal with them back in November.
I think Eddie Howe would struggle to keep ahold of the Republic of Ireland midfielder if either Norwich or Swansea came knocking and arguably could be integral if Bournemouth wish to stabilise in the Championship and eventually lead to a promotion push but if they lose arguably their player of the season, it could derail their next campaign before its even kicked off. I think if the Premier League will be his destination next season, Swansea would have a greater attraction due to European football but would he get the playing time he would want? Norwich would be a better fit for him in my opinion and would flourish at the canaries.
The romantic in me wants him to stay at the Bournemouth and have a crack at the Championship instead of leapfrogging into the Premier League and missing the opportunity of experience, he’s still young, not like he’s 30 plus and it’s his last chance, I can never get my head around the need to be playing for a Premier League club at 16 and not getting any match experience, must be the money!
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