‘Could make all the difference’ – Bournemouth strike transfer agreement with Southampton: The verdict | OneFootball

This article is part of Football League World’s ‘The Verdict‘ series, which provides personal opinions from the FLW writers regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Bournemouth confirmed the signing of Southampton striker Shane Long on loan until the end of the season on Monday.

The 34-year-old joins the Cherries following Josh King’s departure to Everton, and is set to compete with Dom Solanke and Sam Surridge for a starting berth up-top.

Long has found first-team opportunities hard to come by at St Mary’s with Danny Ings and Che Adams being utilised as the Saints’ main attacking outlets this term.

So, what do you make of this signing for Jason Tindall’s side? Is it a shrewd addition?

The team here at FLW discuss…

Alfie Burns

It’s a good signing when you consider the fact that Long has been quite the mainstay in the Premier League over the last few seasons.

Tindall does, of course, have a plethora of attacking talent at his disposal, even after losing Josh King to Everton.

Long only adds to that depth and he will prove to be a good signing over a short period.

In terms of a guaranteed starter, I’m not convinced, but he’s going to get games.

This season is intense and in recent weeks I think we’ve seen things catch up with Bournemouth.

So, an option like this to come into the side isn’t a bad thing whatsoever.

Did each of these 18 ex-Bournemouth players ever score a goal at Dean Court?

Jake Sanders

Considering Bournemouth lost Josh King at the eleventh hour of the January window, I think bringing someone in with the experience and pedigree of Shane Long was an impressive coup from Jason Tindall.

But whilst Long has an abundance of games under his belt in both the Premier League and the Championship, his goalscoring record in recent seasons – three goals in 48 matches to be precise – is less than impressive.

Having said that, King still hadn’t scored in the league this term, so you can’t exactly say that his goals will be missed – with Dominic Solanke taking the lead role for the Cherries this season.

But King has still featured regularly, largely out wide, a position which Long has played previously, so all in all, it’s a positive addition for Bournemouth, not to mention that Long has experience of getting promoted with Reading in 2006.

Phil Spencer

This is a great signing for Bournemouth.

While first team opportunities have been a little bit limited at Southampton due to the form of Danny Ings there’s no doubt that Shane Long is still a Premier League player.

His experience, finishing ability and tireless running will make him a real asset for the Cherries as they look to put their opponents under pressure in the promotion race.

This is a really shrewd addition and I believe that this deal could make all the difference in the hunt for a Premier League return.