Source: Bournemouth_Echo
Cherries: Howe in no hurry to select replacement striker
EDDIE Howe insists he will select carefully as he attempts to fill the void left by influential striker Brett Pitman. Howe is on the look-out for attacking reinforcements after the 22-year-old's Dean Court exit was finalised. Bristol City yesterday confirmed the Jerseyman's signing on a three-year contract, ending a Cherries career that saw him net 61 first-team goals. Although the fee is undisclosed, reports in the West Country suggest the deal could eventually be worth as much as £800,000. The Echo understands one of City's players could move in the other direction, with Internet rumours linking John Akinde with a Dean Court switch. Pitman's move, which comes after he declined an offer from Blackpool, leaves Howe with a sizeable hole to fill in his striking department. And he looks set to be patient in his search for recruits, although Lyle Taylor is set to join if the Football League give the deal the green light. Howe said: We're looking at our options but we're in no immediate hurry or rush to jump in. We'll try to select, if we do bring anyone in, the right one. We'll have to make sure we're careful who we select to add to this group. Discussing Pitman, Howe added: I think how he will be judged in our history is he played a huge part last season in leading us to promotion, as part of a fantastic team with great team spirit. I think that will all be remembered fondly. From an early age, he was a good finisher but I just think he got better and better. Sometimes, in training, you'd see him and he was unstoppable. It was a natural gift that he developed. For a number of years, he's honed his skills and his talents and some of the goals he scored for us were special. Hopefully, our fans will remember them for a long time to come.