Bournemouth acted quickly to boost their attacking options ahead of their Premier League campaign, capturing Christian Atsu on a season-long loan from Chelsea at the end of May. Atsu is one of four new arrivals at Goldsands Stadium so far this summer, with Artur Boruc, Adam Federici and Joshua King also agreeing deals to form part of the Cherries top flight bid.
Atsu’s new manager, Eddie Howe, was clearly delighted to have landed the wide man, and talking up his talents ahead of the forthcoming season:
“Although he is a young player, he is a player with outstanding experience when you look at the career he has had. He has had a lot thrown at him – Porto, Vitesse, Chelsea, on the international stage – and has done very well. We are loaning a player of huge potential and again had to fight off several other Premier League clubs to get him so we are very pleased. I think he will bring pace and ability to beat a man one-v-one which is very important in the Premier League so, for all those reasons, I think he is a great signing for us.”
THE HISTORY
Atsu began his footballing education with the Feyenoord Academy in Ghana before being snapped up by Porto in 2009. He was sent out on loan to fellow Primeira Liga side Rio Ave for the 2011/12 season, and made 27 league appearances, scoring six goals and registering four assists. That successful loan spell convinced Porto to keep hold of Atsu for the following campaign, where he chalked up 17 league appearances, scoring once and providing a single assist.
The potential he had shown in Portugal caught the attention of Chelsea, and they signed the attacker for a reported fee of £3.5 million in the summer of 2013, before sending him out on loan for the 2013/14 season, this time with Dutch club Vitesse Arnhem. Atsu enjoyed another productive loan spell, playing 28 times in the Eredivisie, scoring five goals and bagging six assists.
The winger spent last season on loan at Everton, and made 13 appearances in all competitions. He only played five times in the Premier League, though, starting just once, and failed to score for the Toffees, registering a single assist.
Atsu made his debut for the Ghana national team in 2012 and has currently made over 40 appearances for his country, scoring nine goals. He was named Player of the Tournament in this year’s African Cup of Nations, where Ghana lost to Ivory Coast in the final on penalties, while he also was awarded the Goal of the Tournament for his strike against Guinea.
THE PROSPECTS
The 23-year-old is expected to mainly feature on the left wing for the Cherries, although he is versatile enough to be fielded on the right and as an attacking midfield player behind a lone striker. With Scotland international Matt Ritchie predominantly featuring down the right flank, though, Atsu appears far more likely to take Marc Pugh’s place on the opposite side in either the 4-4-2 or 4-4-1-1 systems favoured by Howe.
Pugh posted some decent statistics last year, scoring nine goals and providing five assists, but the signings of Atsu and Joshua King, who can also operate on the left wing, although he is primarily a forward, suggest Howe was keen to add some quality in that area.
Delving into the data, Atsu – with a security of starts – averaged 2.3 shots per appearance during his loan spell in Holland, compared to 1.5 for King and 1.4 for Pugh last season, illustrating the potential he could carry should he find a spot in Howe’s preferred starting XI.
Howe afforded his wide players plenty of freedom last season, and while that is likely to be restricted against some of the top teams in the Premier League, it should remain a key part of Bournemouth’s make-up in the top flight. The Cherries scored 98 goals in their 46 league matches in 2014/15, with Howe’s side determined to play on the front foot and dominate possession. That should enhance the prospects of the likes of Ritchie, Atsu and forward Callum Wilson when it comes to analysing their Fantasy prospects.
Atsu’s struggles on Merseyside may help in terms of his pricing in Fantasy Premier League (FPL). He was valued at 6.0 last season, but ended then campaign at 5.7 and a price tag of 5.5 this time around looks possible, given his lack of output at Goodison.
Clearly, though, he faces a tough task to usurp Ritchie as the best Fantasy option at Bournemouth. The Scot – who takes most of his side’s set-pieces and corners – racked up 15 goals and 17 assists last term and with an average of 3.3 shots per appearance. He undoubtedly remains the standout candidate from the Championship winners’ midfield and should come in at a cost no greater than 6.5 in FPL.
Pre-season will hopefully provide some clues at to whether Atsu is likely to be a regular starter for Howe’s side, who have been handed some kind opening fixtures for the 2015/16. With home clashes against Villa, Leicester, Sunderland and Watford allied with trips to Norwich and West Ham in the first eight Gameweeks, he certainly has the schedule to make an instant impact in his new surrounds.
