Bournemouth targeting new signings, says Eddie Howe

Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe admits he is already planning which players he wants to sign in the January transfer window - hours after he signed a new long-term contract.

The club were rocked when they lost record signing Tyrone Mings for the season, and Max Gradel for six months, in the early weeks of the campaign to knee injuries.

They then saw top scorer Callum Wilson sidelined for six months with a knee injury of his own, picked up during their game at Stoke City. In addition, Tommy Elphick will miss the next eight weeks with an ankle problem that required surgery during the recent international break.

A striker and defender are understood to be the main priorities for Bournemouth and they have been linked with Blackburn Rovers striker Jordan Rhodes this week, while QPR forward Charlie Austin remains a potential target after they were unable to convince him to join them in the summer window.

Howe would not elaborate on individual players, but confirmed to Sky Sports News HQ he is already scouting potential January targets.

"I think you've got to prepare and plan and I've got no problem saying that we are trying to do that," he said. "As we saw in the previous transfer window, you can have the best-laid plans in the world and they can be rocked within three days of the window shutting.

"We've got things in mind, but there are so many twists and turns we will wait and see what happens when the window opens."

This weekend Howe's Bournemouth side will travel to Manchester City, whose financial strength in the transfer market far exceeds their own. This summer City spent over £100m on Raheem Sterling and Kevin De Bruyne.

Such spending power is something Howe, who still has a player in his squad who cost £5,000, can only dream of.

"Would I like to spend £50m? Yeah if we had it, I'd probably spend it! I can imagine what it feels like," Howe added. "Whenever I am buying a player that is expensive for my club, it's a responsibility I take very seriously.

Would I like to spend £50m? Yeah if we had it, I'd probably spend it!

"We've spent money on players before and as much as it's nice, you've got that feeling where you know you need to get it right. I think Manchester City have done that with their recruitment."

"You can look at transfer fees in isolation and think it's obscene money but the reality is that whatever transfer fee is paid - that's what the player is worth, and the players deserve to earn the money they get."

"In terms of us competing with them [in terms of spending power] then no, we aren't going to be able to compete, but we've never been in a position where we are able to compete, even with some clubs in the Championship. We have to look to do things differently, we are in a different market."