Stoke City and Watford in pole position to sign AFC Bournemouth player | OneFootball

Daniel Jebbison made the move to the Cherries this summer, but is set for a loan move.

Stoke City and Watford have been named as the front-runners in a three-way battle for AFC Bournemouth's Daniel Jebbison, with the Cherries looking to loan out the 21-year-old this summer.

Portsmouth are the third Championship club targeting the striker, and have submitted an offer to the Premier League side, according to The i.

Jebbison has been the subject of interest from multiple teams in the second tier in recent weeks, with Derby County, Hull City, Norwich City and West Bromwich Albion also keeping an eye on the former Sheffield United forward, as per HITC.

However, it seems likely that Jebbison will join either Stoke or Watford before the window shuts, despite impressing Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola in pre-season.

Jebbison only moved to Bournemouth this summer

After coming through the Blades academy, Bournemouth signed the 21-year-old following the conclusion of his contract at Bramall Lane, costing the Cherries £1.5 million in compensation.

Jebbison has not been the most prolific of strikers since breaking into the senior squad in the 2020/21 campaign. He has scored just two goals in 29 appearances, in both the Premier League and Championship.

He featured just once in the top flight with Sheffield United last season, failing to make a proper impact over the course of the year.

His most profitable campaign came while on loan at Burton Albion in the first half of the 2021/22 campaign, finding the back of the net seven times in just 20 League One games, before he was recalled by his parent club.

He made his debut for his new team on Saturday, playing in a cameo role in a 1-1 draw away to Nottingham Forest.

The decision to loan Jebbison has been delayed due to Dominic Solanke's move to Tottenham Hotspur, but with Evanilson now signing for the club, the 21-year-old is free to be loaned out.

Stoke and Watford have targeted a new striker all summer

After losing key players in this window, it has been imperative for both Stoke and Watford to bring in new blood up top.

The Potters lost both Tyrese Campbell and Wesley Moraes at the end of their contracts in June, and while not hugely detrimental due to the small part that they have played previously, they offered cover up front which will be missed as the season continues.

Watford, on the other hand, have seemingly had a transfer window to forget, but, a fantastic start to the new campaign has eased any fears over a poor league performance.

Nevertheless, the Hornets do lack a bit of depth, particularly up top, and if Jebbison can provide from the bench, then he could save millions from being spent in the pursuit of a permanent fix in January.

But, fears over his poor scoring record in the past, and lack of real first-team action over the last couple of years could haunt the two Championship clubs, and the risk of extending a transfer battle over the next week may be too big for the deal to be worth it.