EDDIE Howe says he is “not going to rule anything out” regarding the possibility of Cherries recruiting a free agent to bolster their threadbare squad.

The club reeled in just one of their January transfer targets and subsequently lost Callum Wilson for the remainder of the campaign after the striker sustained an anterior cruciate ligament injury.

Howe’s revelation throws up the intriguing prospect of Cherries pursuing any of a number of former Premier League stars.

Robbie Keane, Dimitar Berbatov and Carlton Cole, a player heavily linked to a Vitality Stadium move in the past, are among those on the hunt for a new club.

Wilson’s training ground setback came hours after he was included in the club’s re-declared 21-man squad, submitted to the Premier League at the conclusion of the winter trading window.

Asked whether he would consider covering Wilson’s loss by bringing in an out of contract player, Howe told the Daily Echo: “I’m not going to rule anything out but there is usually a reason why players are free agents at this time of year.”

With clubs permitted to name 25-strong squads, Cherries would face no barriers in any attempt to supplement their ranks.

A Premier League spokesman told the Daily Echo: “AFC Bournemouth could apply to the board to register a free agent outside of the transfer window should they wish to.”

Keane’s signature is up for grabs after he opted to leave MLS side LA Galaxy when his contract expired in November, in order to take on “one last major challenge in club football”.

The former Leeds and Tottenham player scored 92 goals in 146 appearances for Galaxy after moving to the United States in 2011.

Berbatov, the same age as Keane at 36 and twice a Premier League winner with Manchester United, confirmed late last year that he harbours ambitions to return to the English top flight, where he also played for Tottenham and Fulham.

While Berbatov scored 95 goals in 229 Premier League appearances, Cole's career has been rather less prolific – the 33-year-old’s 256 outings in nine years with West Ham yielded a 55-goal return.

Nevertheless, Howe was reportedly keen on Cole – who has been training with the Hammers following a brief stint with Sacramento Republic in the USA – prior to Cherries’ 2014-15 Championship-winning campaign.

Other more left field striking options for Cherries' boss include ex-Chelsea star Didier Drogba, most recently with Montreal Impact in MLS, and Eduardo, the former Arsenal forward who left Ukranian giants Shakhtar Donetsk in December.

Howe says Wilson will be uppermost in Cherries’ minds as they travel to Everton tomorrow on a mission to steady a season which has drifted off course since the turn of the year.

“You have to try to put a positive spin on things,” said Howe.

“Everything we do this season I want us to try to achieve for Callum, so when he comes back the club is in a great position and he’s ready to kick-start his career.”