Written by James Whitehead (@jmwhitehead_)
AFC Bournemouth talisman Joshua King looks set to make a return to the Premier League with multiple top flight outfits interested in his signature in the days left before the domestic transfer deadline of October 16th.
With West Ham seeing their £13m bid for King turned down, it may only be a matter of days before he makes an exit from a Cherries side he has been a part of since 2015. The Norwegian striker has netted 50 times for the South Coast club, so finding a replacement will not be the easiest of tasks.
With the likes of Dominic Solanke, David Brooks and Sam Surridge staying put, Jason Tindall still has incredible talent at his disposal. Although, it certainly doesn’t hurt to add strength to a side in what can be a very strenuous Championship season, especially when losing an asset as valuable as Joshua King.
With this in mind and in no particular order, here’s a list of a handful of the Championship’s finest available and most promising frontmen that could potentially fill the gap.
ADAM ARMSTRONG (BLACKBURN ROVERS)
Blackburn Rovers’ number seven Adam Armstrong had an impressive 2019/20 season, putting away 16 goals and assisting six for Tony Mowbray’s men. The Newcastle-born forward has built on that electric form this season, scoring 5 in 4 games in the Championship, and adding another in the Carabao Cup. He is currently contributing to just under half of Rovers’ total goals. The 23-year-old can play as a centre-forward or in behind as a second-striker, which could work well in a partnership with Dominic Solanke as the target man. Valued at £3.6m in the current market, he could come to be quite a steal for the Cherries.
KARLAN GRANT (HUDDERSFIELD TOWN)
London-born forward Karlan Grant has had, like Joshua King, experience in the Premier League with Huddersfield Town, managing four goals in 13 appearances in the top flight. Before his move to the West Yorkshire club, Grant spent his playing time at various EFL clubs; permanently at Charlton with spells at the likes of Cambridge United and Crawley Town on loan. Last season the 23-year-old managed 19 goals and four assists, a tally which would impress even the most pessimistic of Bournemouth fans. Karlan Grant has a current market value of £5.85m.
NAHKI WELLS (BRISTOL CITY)
Nahki Wells has been one of the more household names in the Championship when it comes to centre-forwards in recent times. The 30-year-old Bermudan forward has had stints with Burnley, Huddersfield, QPR, Bradford and Carlisle. He currently plays his football with Bristol City, scoring 2 and assisting one in four appearances for them this season. In 231 Championship appearances the striker has netted 72 times and assisted 23. Whilst this may not be the most overwhelming of goal-scoring records, what Wells offers with his link-up play and his experience in Championship football has led many of the sides he plays in to be an attacking threat to any defence. He is currently valued at around £2.88m.
CAULEY WOODROW (BARNSLEY)
Formerly of Fulham and Bristol City, Cauley Woodrow has built himself a reputation as one of the current stars of the EFL. In a poor Barnsley side last season, he scored a vital 14 goals and assisted two to effectively save the side from relegation to League One. He has scored once in the league this season from the spot against Middlesbrough and once in the Carabao Cup in a currently very low scoring Barnsley side. The 25-year-old has a market value of £1.4m.
MARCUS FORSS (BRENTFORD)
Nicknamed ‘The Force’ by AFC Wimbledon fans, Finland-born Marcus Forss finds himself currently within a promising and potentially promotion-challenging Brentford side. The 21-year-old forward stormed onto the scene after impressing on loan at AFC Wimbledon last season, amassing an admirable 11 goals in 18 appearances and helping the League One outfit survive relegation. Forss has appeared twice for Brentford this season, scoring once. Although he is a lesser known name in the EFL, there is no doubt that his potential to become a world-beater is exceptionally great. His market value is estimated at £270k.