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Bournemouth's club record signing Tokelo Rantie was one of the names on Wanderers’ radar this summer – but Dougie Freedman felt the price, on this occasion, was not right.
When the newly-promoted Cherries splashed out £2.5million to land the South African striker from Swedish club Malmo, they turned some heads among even the biggest spending clubs in the second tier.
Prior to Rantie’s arrival, ex-Wanderers trainee Matt Tubbs had been the most costly player purchased by Bournemouth, at around £750,000.
Freedman is a fan of the South Africa international, who admitted earlier this week that he is yet to fully settle in English football.
But the Wanderers boss reckons the sort of money being demanded for the 22-year-old – who was also being tracked by Celtic and Middlesbrough – was out of his reach at the time.
“We looked at the boy Rantie on a few occasions but the money that was quoted at the time was amazing,” he said.
“When you have got that sort of player in your team then you’ve got a chance.
“People forget that Eddie Howe has got some good players and it doesn’t durprise me that they have made a decent start this year. He’s got a good squad and a few Championship players in there as well who know the course and help you settle in that first year.”
Howe, pictured inset, spent two years at Burnley before moving back for a second spell at Bournemouth and helping them into the second tier for the first time since 1990.
“Eddie is a good young manager,” Freedman noted.
“Moving up to the north possibly didn’t suit him at Burnley but he got that second chance to go back to Bournemouth where it seems to fit.
“Eddie will have done his homework. They have a good home record and it will be a tough game for us but I just feel we have turned the corner a bit.
“There is a little bit more determination about us now.
“We’re going there to make sure we keep the game at least close.
“If we’re in it, then I have always thought we’ve got the players to go and win it.”
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When the newly-promoted Cherries splashed out £2.5million to land the South African striker from Swedish club Malmo, they turned some heads among even the biggest spending clubs in the second tier.
Prior to Rantie’s arrival, ex-Wanderers trainee Matt Tubbs had been the most costly player purchased by Bournemouth, at around £750,000.
Freedman is a fan of the South Africa international, who admitted earlier this week that he is yet to fully settle in English football.
But the Wanderers boss reckons the sort of money being demanded for the 22-year-old – who was also being tracked by Celtic and Middlesbrough – was out of his reach at the time.
“We looked at the boy Rantie on a few occasions but the money that was quoted at the time was amazing,” he said.
“When you have got that sort of player in your team then you’ve got a chance.
“People forget that Eddie Howe has got some good players and it doesn’t durprise me that they have made a decent start this year. He’s got a good squad and a few Championship players in there as well who know the course and help you settle in that first year.”
Howe, pictured inset, spent two years at Burnley before moving back for a second spell at Bournemouth and helping them into the second tier for the first time since 1990.
“Eddie is a good young manager,” Freedman noted.
“Moving up to the north possibly didn’t suit him at Burnley but he got that second chance to go back to Bournemouth where it seems to fit.
“Eddie will have done his homework. They have a good home record and it will be a tough game for us but I just feel we have turned the corner a bit.
“There is a little bit more determination about us now.
“We’re going there to make sure we keep the game at least close.
“If we’re in it, then I have always thought we’ve got the players to go and win it.”
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