An update has emerged on Bournemouth centre-back Steve Cook, regarding interest from Newcastle United...

What's the talk?

According to The Sun, Eddie Howe is considering a January swoop for the experienced defender to come in and bolster his defensive options.

The report claims that he could be an alternative option to Burnley duo James Tarkowski and Ben Mee, with the Cherries defender 'creeping' up the Magpies' transfer wishlist.

Disaster

PIF could be heading for a Newcastle disaster with a deal for the English flop. They must avoid signing Cook in January as he would not be a good addition to the squad, given his struggles and lack of game time this season in the Championship.

He has played four games for Bournemouth in all competitions this season and averaged a dismal WhoScored rating of 6.21 - with the side conceding 11 goals in that time. Six of those goals came in a hammering against Norwich in the League Cup, a game in which Cook was given an abysmal rating of 4.89.

The 30-year-old was managed by the Magpies boss at the Vitality Stadium and played 29 games as they were relegated together in the 2019/20 campaign.

Howe once reportedly locked Cook, and the rest of the Cherries squad, in the dressing room for 30 minutes after a 4-1 loss to, ironically, Newcastle. The defender, who blasted himself and his teammates as "embarrassing' for their performances in the top-flight, claimed that the team played 'like kids'. He said:

“Words have been said, players have stepped up and spoken but it is no good unless we do it on the pitch.

“We are men in the dressing room but played like kids."

So, why should Newcastle be signing a player who previously struggled under Howe in the Premier League and is currently failing to perform in the second tier with Bournemouth?

He has only played three times in the Championship and his average rating of 6.64 in the division does not suggest that he is playing well enough to deserve a move to the top-flight.

Therefore, the £45k-per-week earner would be a disaster of a signing by PIF and Howe as his statistics suggest that he would be a nightmare in the Premier League, given that he is not standing out in a lower standard of football. Newcastle should avoid Cook and look elsewhere for defensive reinforcements.

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