Bournemouth transfer dossier: Cherries must retain last summer's transfer ambition to survive

Bournemouth defied plenty of pre-season predictions of a swift return to the Championship during the 2015-16 season. Despite losing Tyrone Mings, Callum Wilson and Max Gradel to long-term injuries, the Cherries battled through the first-half of the season, claiming famous wins over Chelsea and Manchester United and avoiding the relegation dogfight. A rather insipid second-half of the season suggested there is still much for them to improve on.

Business so far

Sylvan Distin has been one of six players released by the club. The Premier League veteran joined on a free transfer from Everton last summer and while he quickly claimed a first-team role in Eddie Howe's team, he began to slip out of the picture in the second-half of the season. Defenders Stephane Zubar and Jon Muleba and midfielders Josh Carmichael, Josh Wakefield and Mason Walsh will also leave the club. Juan Iturbe, a loan signing during the January transfer window, has returned to Roma having made no impact at Dean Court. Elsewhere, Steve Cook and Adam Smith and Ryan Allsop have all signed new contracts.

What they need

As the case is with any promoted club who go onto survive relegation, standing still in the transfer market is asking for trouble. But having shown their ambition last summer (where they spent £23.5m, $34.4m) and again in January (£17m, $25m), Bournemouth are likely to avoid those pitfalls and remain alert. Another centre-half and another presence in midfield should be top of Howe's priority list. The failed Iturbe experiment may prompt the club to try their luck with another winger. In Mings and Gradel, the Cherries have two fresh players who are coming into the squad after lengthy lay-offs.

Who could join

Besiktas defender Alexander Milosevic is reportedly close to signing for the Cherries for a modest fee of £1m, according to reports. The Sweden international spent the second-half of the 2015-16 on loan in Germany with Hannover 96. Ryan Mason was one-half of Tottenham's first-choice central midfield partnership during Mauricio Pochettino's first season in charge but has since fallen out of favour, with injuries not helping his cause. Bournemouth look set to offer him the chance to reclaim a permanent first-team role on the south coast.

Who could leave

West Ham United have already seen a £25m bid for Callum Wilson and Matt Richie rejected, an approach that left Howe fuming on the final day of the season. Wilson's exciting early season form before his injury lay-off could ensure that is not the end of the interest in his signature, the 24-year-old striker has indicated he will stay loyal to the Cherries.

What the manager has said

"The disappointing thing from my perspective is why the bid [for Wilson and Richie] has come in a day before a game, our last game of the season. You've got the whole summer to bid for players. I don't understand that.

"We don't need to sell. We have a really ambitious owner. We want to try and improve our squad, not weaken it. We are desperately trying to move this team forwards and looking at it the other way, bringing recruits in to strengthen what is already a good group. That's the summer we hope to have."