Howe set for North West – or is he?

Last updated : 27 February 2002 By Tony Scholes

February was dominated by talk on Howe and Burnley confirmed that a bid had been made although Bournemouth did initially try to deny it. Nothing happened in February but in transfer deadline week in March we made another offer and sources on the south coast told us that a deal was very close to being done.

Everyone expected Howe to be one of the summer signings but all of a sudden we heard him saying that he was ambitious but would prefer to reach the First Division with Bournemouth. Well good luck to him.

Then before the new season started Wigan made an offer for him but again everything seemed to come to a standstill and again Howe remained with Bournemouth.

There has hardly been a mention of him since but today news broke that Bournemouth had agreed to sell him to Oldham for £500,000 and that Howe was on his way for talks. Both clubs confirmed this but then all of a sudden Bournemouth changed their minds and said that negotiations with Oldham were not complete.

It is believed that our offer for Howe a year ago was substantially higher than the figure that was earlier today accepted from Oldham. Bournemouth are clearly now in far more need of some money for Howe than they were then but whether he ever reaches the North West still remains to be seen.

Oldham Athletic are clearly unhappy at the goings on down there but maybe Howe now feels he can get out of the Second Division with Bournemouth, after all they have now dropped into the bottom four.