Why Bournemouth must go all out to sign Yassin Ayoub in January
Bournemouth have been the busiest of all Premier League sides in the January transfer window, having already completed two signings. The Cherries have signed Dominic Solanke and Nathaniel Clyne – both from Liverpool, although the latter is on loan until the end of the season.
The Bournemouth board has shown commitment to build for the future rather than pluck away finished products from different leagues. One can definitely see that there is a long-term strategy and investment plan in the club’s transfer dealings.
Eddie Howe has been praised for nurturing young talents, playing an exciting brand of football and sticking to his ethos. As far as this season is concerned, Howe managed to get Bournemouth to a fantastic start but his team’s form has faded of late.
The acquisitions of Dominic Solanke and Nathaniel Clyne will definitely boost the Cherries but Howe would need a couple more reinforcements to tighten his grip on a top-eight finish.
After strengthening the defence and the attack, he needs to focus on getting a midfielder to fill the void left by Lewis Cook, who has been ruled out for the remainder of the season after rupturing his knee ligaments. To put things into perspective, Bournemouth must go for Feyenoord midfield ace Yassin Ayoub.
A product of the FC Utrecht academy, Yassin Ayoub spent six years with the club before signing for Feyenoord in the summer of 2018. He has done very well in his debut season at Feyenoord so far, managing a goal and two assists in the Eredivisie.
Standing at 5ft 9in, Yassin Ayoub does not have the physicality or the aerial ability to bully opposition players. However, the Moroccan makes up for it with his fantastic technical abilities. He has a low centre of gravity, which allows him to keep exceptional close control in tight situations.
Known for his quality on the ball, he can play in a number of positions across the midfield and impact the game. Ayoub is an exceptional dribbler. He also possesses the ability to pick out a pass and is lethal in front of the goal.
He is excellent in retaining the ball and spreading the play and he also works tirelessly throughout the game. The 24-year-old likes to play between the lines and exploit those half-spaces between the full-backs and the centre-backs. Furthermore, he has a deadly left foot that is capable of delivering rockets from outside the box.
A technically gifted midfielder, Ayoub excels in his ability to draw the defenders out from their positions with his nimble footwork and movement off the ball. He is very sharp and agile, making it difficult for the defenders to keep tabs on him.
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Bournemouth can bag a massive coup if they manage to land Ayoub in January. As things stand, they need to string together a consistent run in the second half of the season if they are to secure a top-eight finish and a player in the ilk of Ayoub’s quality would definitely help Howe in achieving his target this season.