CHERRIES have an option to permanently sign Italian left-back Filippo Costa as part of his season-long loan at Dean Court.

The 20-year-old Chievo defender has linked up with Stephen Purches’s under-21 squad with a view to stepping up to first-team training after a settling-in period.

First-team technical director Richard Hughes confirmed no fee had been written into the arrangement but that Cherries would get first refusal on Costa’s services should they wish to take it.

Hughes told the Daily Echo: “We will have a window of opportunity before the loan elapses to negotiate a deal with Chievo.

“There is nothing in there with regard to the fee and we were keen for that to be the case because we didn’t want to put unrealistic pressure on anyone.

“Making judgements based on a price tag would not be fair on the player at this stage of his development and this arrangement gives the coaches an opportunity to form their own opinion over a sustained period of time.

“If there is an interest from all three parties to make it permanent then we will deal with that in due course.”

And Hughes reckons the personal attributes that helped Costa break into senior football in his homeland with Pisa last season should stand the Italy under-20 international in good stead. 

“Knowing the character of a player is always important,” he added. 

“You want to bring in players who can adapt to what you’re trying to do which is not easy, particularly if they are coming from abroad but we know Filippo is the right type of boy to try to do this. 

“He is a very good passer of the ball with strong distribution and delivery and likes to get forward. We thought he showed all the hallmarks of a progressive Bournemouth full-back with a good pedigree. 

“It is not easy for youngsters to play in Italy full stop.

“We think we have the same situation in England but over there, it is even harder so having a good season with Pisa in their equivalent of League One says a lot for him.

“He has a good engine and is at the right place because Bournemouth is a really good place for developing full-backs. 

“If I was a young full-back, I would want to work with Eddie Howe, Jason Tindall and Stephen Purches. 

“Wide play is a big feature of their game and Filippo has the right raw attributes to develop well here.” 

Meanwhile, Cherries defender Stephane Zubar, currently working with the under-21 squad, is thought to be heading to League One newcomers Southend United for a trial spell.