MANAGER Eddie Howe believes increased speculation surrounding possible transfer targets for Cherries is “something we are going to have to get used to”.

Cherries have been linked with a host of players – including some high-profile names – since clinching promotion to the Premier League just nine days ago.

An article in The Daily Telegraph last week claimed the Dorset outfit had tabled a club-record £5m bid for Sporting Braga’s Portuguese striker Eder.

And various national newspaper reports over the weekend suggested strikers Dimitar Berbatov, Jermain Defoe and Obafemi Martins were also on Howe’s wish-list.

The Daily Express said Cherries were interested in veteran Bulgarian Berbatov who moved to Monaco in January following spells with Fulham, Spurs and Manchester United.

And news of Cherries’ apparent desire to bring former loan star Defoe back to Dean Court should Sunderland lose their top-flight status appeared in The Daily Mirror.

Other players rumoured to be Cherries targets include Manchester City’s Micah Richards, Everton’s Sylvain Distin and Luke Garbutt, Brentford playmaker Jota and Celtic defender Charlie Mulgrew.

Since returning to Dean Court in October 2012, Howe has always resisted the temptation to make wholesale changes to his squad during the transfer windows.

And while Cherries’ rivals in the Championship drafted in a number of new recruits in January, Howe kept faith with his players and they delivered by winning promotion.

Howe, who added only two loan players – Artur Boruc and Kenwyne Jones – after the August window had closed, is expected to adopt a similar approach in the lead up to next season.

In an exclusive interview with the Daily Echo, Howe said: “We are working hard on recruiting players. That quickly became the first thing we looked at once we had played the final game of the season.

“We have had a lot of names thrown at us and there has been a lot of talk in the press, which is usually wide of the mark.

“As always, we will conduct our business discreetly and try to improve the squad. It may take a bit of time and it certainly won’t be done in a hurry. We will try to identify players who not only make our squad better but also complement the group we have.

“I think we will be linked with a host of players. The speculation and interest in us is a lot greater than it was in the Championship so I think it goes with the territory and is something we are going to have to get used to.

“As long as we don’t lose sight of what we are doing, people can speculate as much as they want. We won’t change how we go about our business and how we recruit because it has worked for us so far.”