Bournemouth are interested in signing Stephan El Shaarawy, but it appears they face some stiff competition for the Italy international.
Many pundits expected the Cherries to suffer instant relegation upon their promotion to the Premier League, and whilst there are still plenty of matches left to play in this unpredictable season, they have made a fine start to life in the top-flight. With wins against the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United under their belt, they are currently five points ahead of the drop zone.
Eddie Howe has already used the January transfer window to bolster his existing squad, having secured the loan signing of Juan Iturbe from Roma. And now he has set his sights on El Shaarawy, who has in the past been regarded as one of the best talents in Europe. The 23-year-old is currently on loan at Monaco, but he has yet to open his Ligue 1 account for the club.
The forward, who has 17 caps for the Italian national side, is under contract at Milan until the summer of 2018. Bournemouth are hoping Leonardo Jardim’s side will be happy to send the player back to the San Siro ahead of the intended loan expiry, which would then allow them to make an approach to Dean Court in a temporary move for the remainder of the campaign.
However, Howe is sure to face some stiff competition should they decide to press their interest in El Shaarawy. According to reports in Italy, Bologna, Genoa and Fiorentina have asked to be kept informed of developments. The latter are sure to fancy their chances, as they currently well in the mix for the Scudetto and lie in second place just one point behind Internazionale.
