Bournemouth

Image source, BBC Sport

Mark Mitchener, BBC Sport

Joe Rothwell's loan move to Southampton is Bournemouth's first significant move of what is expected to be a significantly quieter January transfer window than those of 2022 and 2023.

Two years ago, the Cherries were looking to shore up their Championship promotion push, with a rush of players - mainly on loan - arriving, although few were to make a long-term impact.

Then, last January, with the ink barely dry on Bill Foley's takeover documents, in came Dango Ouattara, Antoine Semenyo, Illia Zabarnyi, Darren Randolph and loanees Hamed Traore and Matias Vina.

While neither made much of an impact in their first half-season at Vitality Stadium, Zabarnyi and Semenyo have become key players in 2023-24, and Ouattara played his part before leaving for the Africa Cup of Nations.

Randolph arrived to provide experienced back-up as third-choice goalkeeper and has filled that role without making a first-team appearance, but it looks as though Traore - whose move from Sassuolo became permanent in May after contractual conditions in the loan agreement were met - could be the next player to depart, with reports from Italy suggesting he is close to tying up a loan move to Serie A side Napoli.

Bournemouth have perhaps not seen the best of Traore, who has been unfortunate with injury and illness – including a bout of malaria contracted while on international duty with Ivory Coast.

However, when opportunities were given earlier in the season while Andoni Iraola was trying to work out his best combinations in midfield and attack, Traore fell behind others in the pecking order - in the same way that Rothwell has found himself down the queue for central midfield berths - so it is no surprise to find them available for loan.

More interesting is James Hill's recall from a successful loan spell at Blackburn Rovers. Signed from Fleetwood as "one for the future" two years ago, the defender spent much of 2023 on loan at Hearts and Blackburn, and may now get a chance to shine at his parent club.

Image source, Getty Images

Southampton have signed Bournemouth midfielder Joe Rothwell on loan until the end of the season.

Rothwell, 29, has made 35 appearances for the Cherries since joining from Blackburn Rovers in the summer of 2022, including 11 this season.

He featured 161 times in four years with the Championship side before his move to Vitality Stadium.

In-form Southampton are third in the second tier and on a 19-game unbeaten league run.

"I’m thankful to Southampton for allowing me to come here. Hopefully I can come in and show my experience of this league and help them get over the line," said Rothwell.

"I can't wait to finally get going and put my boots on, and hopefully we can get the club back to where it belongs."

Saints director of football Jason Wilcox added: "Joe is a quality addition who gives us further strength and depth in the squad, which will be particularly important as the season goes on."

Former Premier League striker Jermain Defoe has described his return to Bournemouth as "one of the hardest times" in his playing career.

Defoe joined the Cherries on a free transfer in July 2017, having previously played for the club on-loan from West Ham United in the 2000–01 season.

"People are always going to doubt you. Even when I went back to Bournemouth I wasn't playing and, when I think about it, that was one of the hardest times in my career," said Defoe on the Football Firsts podcast.

"I remember sitting in my car after certain games when I hadn't even come on the pitch. I get goosebumps talking about this. I remember looking at my phone thinking, 'Who can I talk to?' I was just thinking about who I could speak to because I was feeling so hurt. I had never felt that before.

"I needed to think about how I was going to deal with the situation because the only thing that's ever given me that much joy is football, but now I could see the end. I was at a club where I wasn't even getting on the pitch. I was training but there was nothing at the end of it. I was training hard and scoring goals but I needed that buzz that I've always had since I was eight-years-old.

"I just remember sitting there and thinking I'm going to phone my Mum and say to her that's me done, I'm not playing anymore, I can't deal with it.

"Then I got a call to go to Rangers. As soon as I got to Rangers, I remember we played against Kilmarnock and I got that fire back. When I started scoring goals there, I thought 'that's for all the people who were saying stuff.'"

Listen to the full podcast on BBC Sounds

Sheffield United are interested in 26-year-old Bournemouth and Wales defender Chris Mepham. (Sun), external

Meanwhile, Cherries midfielder Joe Rothwell, 29, is set to have a medical at Southampton before completing a loan move until the end of the season. (Daily Echo), external

Southampton are also targeting a winger on loan this month with 26-year-old Bournemouth and Wales international David Brooks on their shortlist. (Givemesport), external

Want more transfer news? Read Monday's full gossip column

Image source, Getty Images

Dominic Solanke's six goals in December were enough to ensure the striker has been named Premier League player of the month.

It is the first time a Bournemouth player has won the award, and reward for Solanke moving to within two goals of Liverpool's Mohamed Salah and Manchester City's Erling Haaland in the race for the 2023-24 Golden Boot.

Speaking in a video on X, external, Solanke said: "I'm delighted to win the Premier League Player of the Month for December.

"It's been a great month, some big wins, some special moments - including my first Premier League hat-trick - so I want to say thank you to all the players and staff at the club and, most importantly, to all the fans.

"Your support has been fantastic all season. Hopefully we can carry on for the rest of the season and all of 2024."

A very poor start increased worries that the Cherries had made a mistake by sacking Gary O'Neil and appointing Andoni Iraola but the Spaniard has now stamped his mark on Bournemouth to great effect. They have moved up the Premier League playing very entertaining football.

Striker Dominic Solanke is fulfilling his long-held promise and Iraola is now looking like an imaginative appointment.

Current position: 12th

McNulty's pre-season prediction: 15th.

What McNulty said in August: "Iraola comes with a reputation for exciting football and will be backed."

Image source, Getty Images

Joe Bradshaw, BBC Sport

A grateful James Hill told Blackburn Rovers TV, external "I have impressed myself!" after his season-long loan deal was cut short by parent club Bournemouth on Wednesday.

The 22-year-old proved a shrewd acquisition for the Championship side, appearing 18 times and bagging himself only his second career goal, admitting, "I don't get too many."

After a deadline day switch to the North West, Hill had to bide his time for opportunities, finally getting his first start in Rovers colours in the opening week of October.

From there, he did not look back, featuring mainly at right-back where he proved both solid and marauding as part of Jon Dahl Tomasson's cavalier formation.

He also filled in at centre-back where his pace and football intelligence was more than enough at second-tier level.

However, Rovers' form has dipped sharply in recent weeks, with Hill part of a porous backline that shipped the second-most goals in the division.

That might be a concern for Andoni Iraola as he welcomes Hill back into the fold to help strengthen the Cherries' own occasionally leaky backline.

On the flipside, the fact he has summoned him back suggests he likes what he has seen from Hill and is ready to get him involved in the cut-and-thrust of the Premier League.

Affable, confident and talented, Hill returns to Vitality Stadium with some battle scars from the Championship, and no doubt keen to finally establish himself in Bournemouth colours.

Newcastle United have been told striker Dominic Solanke will not be sold this month after making an enquiry for the 26-year-old Bournemouth forward. (Telegraph - subscription required, external)

Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column

Image source, Reuters

Bournemouth have exercised an option to recall defender James Hill from his loan spell at Blackburn Rovers.

The 22-year-old made 18 appearances in the Championship, scoring once and being deployed at both centre-back and right-back for Jon Dahl Tomasson's side.

He will provide a further option to strengthen Andoni Iraola's backline for the second half of the season.

Mark Mitchener, BBC Sport

Three of Bournemouth’s four cup ties this season have followed a pattern.

In each of their first two EFL Cup ties against Swansea and Stoke, and in last Saturday’s FA Cup game at Queens Park Rangers, a disappointing first-half performance caused boss Andoni Iraola to make a double substitution at half-time.

On all three occasions, the Cherries netted early in the second period, and eventually ran out winners with at least one substitute on target. Conversely, the best first-half showing in a cup competition came in the EFL Cup fourth-round game with Liverpool – the only cup tie Bournemouth have lost in 2023-24.

Wales international trio Kieffer Moore, David Brooks and Chris Mepham, who have spent much of this season on the bench, all started at QPR – but Brooks and Mepham were the pair hooked at half-time.

In November, Wales manager Rob Page said he would “try and influence” players who have not been regular starters for their clubs, to get January moves – but the situation is not as straightforward as that.

Moore would undoubtedly be an asset for a promotion-chasing Championship side, as he was when he joined Bournemouth from Cardiff two years ago – but with no other out-and-out central striking cover for Dominic Solanke, it looks unlikely that the Cherries would let him go before finding a replacement.

Mepham has now played under six Cherries managers in five years since joining from Brentford, but always seems to be the man to make way whenever a new centre-back is signed. The 26-year-old told BBC Radio Solent last week he would be “open to all options” – but in the short term, will be needed for their next game against Liverpool while Marcos Senesi serves a suspension.

Meanwhile, Brooks’ comeback after battling cancer was one of the feelgood stories of last season, but he has also struggled for game time in 2023-24 as Antoine Semenyo and Marcus Tavernier have established themselves as Iraola’s first-choice wide players.

However, Iraola is still clearly a fan of Brooks – having given him the captain’s armband in two cup ties this season ahead of other experienced candidates – and January could be the time he gets his chance, with Semenyo at the Africa Cup of Nations and Tavernier currently filling in as a makeshift left-back.

Tom Jordan, Back of the Net, external

Bournemouth progressed to the fourth round of the FA Cup at the weekend with victory over Queens Park Rangers, despite being two goals behind at the break.

The Cherries avoided a 'cupset' and it has made fans ponder, could this be our time to have a real stab at winning the most prestigious domestic trophy?

Head coach Andoni Iraola is no stranger to a cup run, surprising many in Spain with his overachievements at both Mirandes and Rayo Vallecano - with two semi-final appearances in the Copa del Rey. Bournemouth are in a comfortable position in the league table, so maybe this is the perfect time to have a real crack at the cup.

In recent years, the Cherries have either been scrapping at the bottom of the Premier League or battling for promotion in the Championship, meaning cup competitions have only really been used to rotate the squad and rest key players, as league obligations have always taken priority.

For the first period in a long time, though, we sit in a mid-table position in the league, so this could be the perfect opportunity to surprise a few in the cup.

The home draw against Championship side Swansea City in the next round really could present Iraola with a chance to kick on and give Bournemouth fans the cup run they crave.

We can dream - right?

Image source, Getty Images

Find out who your team has been drawn against in the FA Cup fourth round with the full list of ties below.

• Watford v Southampton

• Blackburn Rovers v Wrexham

• Bournemouth v Swansea City

• West Brom v Brentford/Wolves

• West Ham/Bristol City v Nottingham Forest/Blackpool

• Leicester City v Hull City/ Birmingham City

• Sheffield Wednesday v Coventry City

• Chelsea v Aston Villa

• Ipswich Town v Maidstone United

• Liverpool v Norwich City/Bristol Rovers

• Tottenham v Man City

• Leeds United v Plymouth Argyle

• Crystal Palace/Everton v Luton Town/Bolton

• Newport County/Eastleigh v Wigan/Man Utd

• Sheff Utd v Brighton

• Fulham v Newcastle United

The matches will take place over the weekend of 27-28 January.

Watch all the goals from the third round

Watch highlights and analysis from Saturday's FA Cup third round fixtures.

If you missed Saturday's action, catch up here on BBC iPlayer.

You can also watch the best bits of Sunday's FA Cup matches here.

Listen back to BBC Radio 5 Live Saturday match commentaries in full on BBC Sounds:

Sunderland 0-3 Newcastle

Gillingham 0-4 Sheffield United

Middlesbrough 0-1 Aston Villa

Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola speaking to the BBC: "Luckily for us it finished well, but we suffered especially in the first half. We didn’t play with the required intensity and we had no other choice but to play much better in the second half, with more urgency and attacking more direct. Luckily, I think we did really well.

"We wanted to move the ball, we were moving it quite slowly. We had some chances but the difference between divisions is sometimes difficult."

On his half-time message to the players: "We just needed to attack faster, be more vertical, use the space and make them run backwards. We were on the ball and they were quite comfortable, we needed some change of speed and I think players did really well. We had the chances, we had the goals and we deserved the win."

On confidence levels in the squad: "It is good because in these tough situations, even at half-time, we all believed we could score two or three goals and have the chance of a replay, or score all three and win in the end. It’s good. We know we have to play at our best if we're the team we want to be.

"We are going to try in the cup competitions. You have difficult moments like this that you pass and it depends a lot on the draw, but you have to get the chance. It’s an opportunity, you have to try every year.

"In the Carabao Cup, we didn't win against Liverpool but we played really well and they won it in the end. We're going to try and do the same and have a chance."

On having a two-week break: "They are needed because we've had a crazy schedule in December, a lot of games. The players deserve mentally, physically some days off before they reset again, because we have difficult games. We have Liverpool and the next round of the cup. We have to prepare."

Did you know?

• Bournemouth are the first team to win an FA Cup away game having been two goals down at half-time for the first time since November 2020, with both Chorley winning 3-2 against Wigan and Crawley winning 6-5 against Torquay on the same day.

Matthew Howarth, BBC Sport

Bournemouth were punished for a wasteful first-half showing at Loftus Road, but Andoni Areola's side made amends for their early profligacy with a ruthless second-half display to dash Queens Park Rangers' hopes of a third-round upset.

The Cherries were a persistent threat down the left before the break but were unable to make the most of several good openings, their only first-half shot on target coming from Marcus Tavernier in the 45th minute.

Championship strugglers QPR, who were more than a match for their Premier League opponents before the interval, took the lead through the lively Sinclair Armstrong before doubling their advantage through Lyndon Dykes' deflected shot - but the hosts were unable to sustain their momentum in the second half.

Bournemouth re-emerged with a point to prove and were level 13 minutes after the restart, Tavernier's effort deflecting in off Jimmy Dunne before Kieffer Moore's towering header restored parity.

And second-half substitute Justin Kluivert completed the turnaround with a close-range finish to spark jubilant scenes among the 3,000-strong visiting contingent.

Bournemouth scored three second-half goals as they recovered from 2-0 down to win at Championship strugglers Queens Park Rangers in the FA Cup third round.

Second-half substitute Justin Kluivert completed the fightback in front of the Cherries' travelling supporters, converting from point-blank range after Philip Billing had regained possession deep inside the QPR half.

Two goals in as many first-half minutes from Sinclair Armstrong and Lyndon Dykes had put Marti Cifuentes' side firmly in the driving seat at Loftus Road, after the Cherries spurned several good opportunities to get their noses in front.

But Andoni Iraola's side emerged for the second half with a point to prove and halved the deficit through Marcus Tavernier's deflected effort, before Kieffer Moore's towering header restored parity 10 minutes later.

And Kluivert converted midway through the second period to spark jubilant scenes among the 3,000-strong visiting contingent.

Dykes almost got on the end of a low cross to make it 3-3, but Max Aarons managed to beat the QPR striker to the ball and the home side were unable to make the most of the resulting corner.

Were you at Loftus Road or following the match from elsewhere?

How did you rate the performance of your team, Cherries fans?

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There is less than an hour to go before QPR host Bournemouth in the third round of the FA Cup.

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