Bournemouth transfer shortlist England duo Pope and Butland to compete with out-of-favour Begovic
Eddie Howe wants new goalkeeper to compete for No 1 shirt with Artur Boruc set to leave this summer
ENGLAND pair Jack Butland and Nick Pope are on Bournemouth’s shortlist of summer goalkeeper targets.
Eddie Howe is set to move for a keeper at the end of the season to compete as No1, with Asmir Begovic spending two months out of favour this season.
Butland, 26, has ambitions of returning to the Premier League but looks unlikely to reach the Championship play-offs with Stoke, even though they can still reach the play-offs.
Pope, who went to the World Cup along with Butland, has also sparked interest at the Vitality Stadium after returning from shoulder surgery but finding himself behind Tom Heaton and Joe Hart in the pecking order.
The Three Lions keepers are going head-to-head in Howe’s summer search, with Liverpool No2 Simon Mignolet also being monitored.
Begovic has only just returned to the first-team after 10 weeks on the sidelines when he was dropped for Artur Boruc.
Boruc, 39, is out of contract in the summer and Howe will look to bring a new keeper for competition.
Meanwhile, Bournemouth face a battle to keep Arsenal target Ryan Fraser.
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The winger has been in good form and admits he is flattered by their interest.
Howe has admitted it will be hard to keep Fraser at the club next season.
And there are also doubts over the future of Man Utd and Spurs target Nathan Ake.
