CHERRIES have been linked with a move for Sampdoria's teenage right-back Pedro Pereira.

The Portuguese left Benfica to join the Italian club in the summer of 2015.

Sampdoria originally planned to integrate the Portugal under-18 international into their development squad but such was the impression Pereira made on then boss Walter Zenga, he was handed a first-team debut against Bologna in September 2015.

Pereira continued to feature under Zenga's successor Vincenzo Montella and this season has made nine appearances under current manager Marco Giampaolo.

Howe has made little secret of the fact he is seeking to bolster his defensive ranks, an issue that has become more pressing given Nathan Ake's return to parent club Chelsea.

Cherries are without Simon Francis for tomorrow's trip to Hull and the visit of Watford next week, while Marc Wilson injured a hamstring in the FA Cup defeat at Millwall.

Equally comfortable operating on either flank, Pereira is adept at performing as a wing-back and would appear to have all the attributes required to quickly bed in to Howe's team.

Sampdoria sit 13th in Italy's top flight. The Genoa-based outfit are cut adrift of Serie A' s European places, but enjoy a healthy 13-point buffer to the drop zone.

They are likely, then, to be tempted to cash in on their in-demand young star this month.

Pereira has been linked with a return to Benfica, while Juventus and Premier League champions Leicester City are also credited with an interest in the Lisbon-born player.

Cherries, however, are said to be in pole position to land Pereira.