Wilson can be top with Cherries
CALLUM WILSON can realise his ambitions of playing in the Champions League by staying at Bournemouth, according to his team-mate Steve Cook.
England striker Wilson is a £50million target for Chelsea and West Ham but the Cherries have no intention of cashing in on their prized asset this transfer window.
Centre-back Cook said: “Callum is normal. He is a great lad, a great character. He is obviously confident and has got ambitions, like every player in that dressing room.
“Hopefully we can go on a journey with him. He wants to play in the Champions League, everyone does. Is that possible? For a lot of us, maybe not, but hopefully we can do our best for him and get him as high as possible.
“I have been here a long time so I have seen players come and go and be linked with clubs.
“That is natural because we have done ever so well and if Callum keeps scoring the goals I am sure it is going to be a tough thing to keep hold of him. But I can’t remember the last player we sold that was a big part of the gaffer’s plans so that says all we need to know.
“Callum is always missed when he doesn’t play. The games he has missed this year we haven’t won or even scored in.
“He is a massive player for us and I am sure he will be for years to come.”
Wilson showed why he is top of West Ham’s wish-list to replace wantaway Marko Arnautovic as the visitors toiled without their star man.
Wilson set his side on course for only their third win since the end of October with a blistering 53rd-minute volley before Joshua King sealed the points in stoppage time.
Cook said: “Maybe for the manager it will be a relief when the transfer window closes, but for us players it is normal.
“Nobody has really spoken about speculation of transfers. As soon as you have that in the changing room it is dangerous.
“We players, leaders and characters have got to stop that from happening and focus on winning games because we have not been able to do that recently.”
Issa Diop admitted West Ham lacked intensity in the absence of Arnautovic. The Austrian, left, dipped out of this game after claiming his head was not right as he hankers for a big-money switch to China, and defender Diop said: “It was disappointing because we played without intensity and lost an important game.
“I don’t know why that was, but we are very disappointed, and we only had a few chances so we need to work hard this week to go to the next game.
“We need to win a game against Wimbledon in the FA Cup next week, so we’ll work hard and focus on that.”
BOURNEMOUTH (4-4-1-1):
Boruc 6; Clyne 6, S Cook 7, Ake 7, A Smith 6; Brooks 8 (Daniels 90), Lerma 7, Gosling 6, Fraser 7 (Mousset 90); King 7; Wilson 7 (Stanislas 73, 6). Goals: Wilson 54, King 90. NEXT UP: Chelsea (h), Jan 30 PL. WEST HAM (4-2-3-1): Fabianski 8; Zabaleta 7, Diop 6, Ogbonna 6, Cresswell 6; Noble 6 (Diangana 78), Rice 6; Antonio 6, Nasri 5 (Snodgrass 66, 6), Anderson 6; Carroll 5 (Hernandez 66, 6).
Booked: Carroll. NEXT UP: Wimbledon (a), Sat FAC.
Referee: S Hooper (Wiltshire).