Can Bournemouth really stake their claim in the Premier League if they are promoted?

In the 15/16 season, AFC Bournemouth competed in their first-ever season in the top flight of English football, a remarkable feat considering where they were in the seasons prior.

They were able to climb up the footballing pyramid and reach the holy grail of the Premier League having been as low down as League Two in 2010, and three promotions in five seasons soon saw them reach the promised land.

Bournemouth, then led by Eddie Howe, were able to establish themselves as a competitive side in the first division, finishing as high as ninth in just their second year. However, a poor 19/20 campaign saw them relegated on the final day of the season as they finished one point behind 17th placed Aston Villa.

A swift return to the Premier League was on the cards last season but they were defeated by Brentford in the play-off semi-finals, with the Bees going on to beat Swansea City in the final. However the prospect of promotion looks a lot closer than last year, and the Cherries may already be making plans to compete in the top flight in August.

As it stands Bournemouth sit second in the Championship table, two points ahead of third-placed Huddersfield Town and three games in hand over the Terriers.

They also have a two-game advantage on Fulham who sits at the top, but the 12 point gap between the two sides may be too far of a distance for them to contemplate a first-placed finish come the end of the season. In 34 games so far, their 55 goals make them the second-highest scorers in the division, and just the 30 goals conceded ensure they have the most successful defence to date.

Scott Parker, previously of Fulham, has been able to guide the south coast outfit into the top two, meaning their return to the Premier League is not too far away.

Despite going winless in six towards the end of 2021, they have been able to maintain their second-placed position; the distance between them and those in the play-off spots could soon be 11 points should they win all their games in hand.

It is clear to see that they are too good for the Championship, but only time will tell if they can once again prove their worth at the top of English football should they return.

Previous seasons have shown that maintaining a spot in the Premier League after a promotion is no easy feat. In the previous campaign, both Fulham and West Bromwich Albion were relegated back to the Championship after just one season.

Norwich City have also suffered a similar fate, with the Canaries yo-yo-ing between the two divisions and looking likely to do the same again this season.

Promotion will surely provide Bournemouth with the much-needed finances for them to battle well in the top flight, but Fulham’s 18/19 season proves that spending huge sums of money in the transfer market does not guarantee safety.

Fulham spent just over £100 million on players in the summer, with the likes of Jean Michael Seri, Andre Zambo Anguissa and Aleksandar Mitrovic all coming through the doors for hefty fees. However, they finished 19th and ten points off of safety and were subsequently relegated.

Therefore should the Cherries have a healthy transfer kitty in the summer, they will need to be wise in their recruitment in the hopes of avoiding such a fate as the aforementioned west London outfit did nearly three years ago.

Even though the transfer window will offer them the chance to bring fresh talent into the side, they already possess top-level experience in their current squad. Centre-back Gary Cahill won two Premier League titles with Chelsea in 2015 and 2017, as well as other major honours.

Adam Smith featured in all five of their previous seasons in the top flight, with midfielder Lewis Cook featuring in four of the campaigns. Dominic Solanke is likely to lead the line for them next season, with the 24-year-old netting three goals the last time he played in the first division.

If this season can prove anything, especially given the relegation battle currently taking place, fine margins can separate the sides who stay up and go down. Bournemouth have the capabilities to survive in the Premier League beyond the one campaign, but it will be far from easy.

They narrowly missed out on survival last time round but their motivation to not repeat such a fate, as well as the quality and talent in their squad, should see them over the line next season.

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