IF THE past few years are anything to go by, Dean Court could be a hive of activity tomorrow.

For Cherries, business has been brisk during the mid-season transfer window, with deadline day proving particularly fruitful.

And with one last chance to add to his squad for a promotion push, who would bet against Eddie Howe strengthening before the 11pm cut-off?

Howe’s arrivals towards the end of January over the past two seasons have seen him swoop for two players who have been instrumental in Cherries’ recent rise.

In 2013, and on the eve of a hectic transfer window shutting, Cherries ended their lengthy pursuit of Matt Ritchie.

The winger, who had been tracked by a host of Championship clubs, opted to remain in League One when he joined Cherries from Swindon for £500,000.

He became Howe’s fourth addition of the transfer window following the arrivals of Brett Pitman (loan made permanent for £60,000 from Bristol City), Ryan Allsop (free) and Ryan Fraser (£400,000 from Aberdeen).

Ritchie had first come to Howe’s attention during a trial with Cherries in 2008, the then-Portsmouth youngster invited to try his luck by former boss Kevin Bond.

He was subsequently the subject of several failed bids by the Dorset club and proved to be the final piece of the promotion jigsaw after Howe had finally got his man.

Ritchie, named League One player of the year, starred during Cherries’ final 17 games of the season as Howe’s men claimed the runners-up spot.

Pitman’s 19 goals – including 10 in the final 11 games – were another key factor, as was Allsop keeping five successive away clean sheets in the last 10 matches of the campaign.

Also in 2013, both Frank Demouge (Roda, Holland) and Lorenzo Davids (Randers, Denmark) headed through the exit door, while Wes Thomas was farmed out on loan to Birmingham.

A year later, Yann Kermorgant was snapped up by Howe on deadline day, the French striker joining Cherries for £400,000 from Charlton.

Kermorgant, a huge terrace favourite at The Valley, hit nine goals in the final 12 games of last season as Cherries recorded their highest finish in the second flight.

His exploits at one end of the pitch were more than matched at the other by Lee Camp, the goalkeeper also starring after joining Cherries on a free transfer following a successful loan from West Brom.

Howe’s additions 12 months ago also included Adam Smith (£250,000 from Tottenham) and development squad trio Josh O’Hanlon (Longford Town), Ben Whitfield (Guiseley) and Jon Muleba (Chelsea).

The busiest January window of recent seasons saw no fewer than seven players signed by former boss Lee Bradbury in 2012.

Donal McDermott was the last addition on deadline day, the winger signed for £175,000 from Huddersfield Town.

Three members of the current back four – Simon Francis, Charlie Daniels and Steve Cook – had their loans made permanent, while an estimated spend of £1.6million also saw Matt Tubbs, Scott Malone and Wes Thomas join the ranks.

Howe was also involved in the most eventful Dean Court deadline day of recent years – just weeks after he had left the club for Burnley in 2011.

His 11th-hour capture of midfielder Marvin Bartley angered both Bradbury and chairman Eddie Mitchell, the transfer going through just minutes before the deadline.

The past four years have been a far cry from 2010 when the Football League put the block on Cherries signing Mustapha Dumbuya on loan from Doncaster due to the club’s ongoing transfer embargo.

Eddie Howe’s mid-season transfer window signings (2013 and 2014)

  • Yann Kermorgant (£400,000)
  • Adam Smith (£250,000)
  • Lee Camp (free)
  • Matt Ritchie (£500,000) 
  • Brett Pitman (£60,000)
  • Ryan Allsop (free)
  • Ryan Fraser (£400,000)
  • (Josh O’Hanlon, Ben Whitfield and Jon Muleba joined the club’s development squad in 2014)