CHERRIES are the seventh highest spending club in English football this year.

That fact alone is instructive on two counts. Firstly, their readiness to stump up the cash necessary to land their prime targets is indicative of a club unashamedly ramping up its ambitions.

More than that though, Cherries’ current position at the top table, shooting the breeze with the other high rollers, speaks of a job well done.

Their lofty spot in this rather gaudy list will, indubitably, prove to be an ephemeral state of affairs.

Only Everton, Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool and Leicester have shelled out more dough than Cherries in 2017.

But with the likes of Chelsea, Tottenham and West Ham – not to mention Stoke, Newcastle, West Brom and the rest – still girding their respective loins prior to inevitable splurges, Cherries can expect to be lapped in this particular field by the time summer is out.

Indeed, it is not beyond the realms of possibility that, come August 31, Everton – current outlay £123million - will look positively frugal.

The £31million Cherries have spent, though, trails in importance to the timing of their most recent deals. Asmir Begovic, Jermain Defoe and Nathan Ake are all on board for this week’s training camp in Marbella.

Managers place an enormous premium on having all their ducks in a row ahead of pre-season training. As such, Eddie Howe has got a jump on the rest of the Premier League – Everton and, perhaps, Manchester City, aside.

It is not overstating things to suggest that the benefits of conducting slick summer business, while rivals are dithering, can potentially endure deep into the ensuing campaign.

Jose Mourinho credits the twin capture of Cesc Fabregas and Diego Costa far in advance of 2014-15 as being pivotal to Chelsea winning that season’s title.

Equally, Hull City were chasing their tails last term from the moment they flew to a pre-season camp in Austria with nine first-team players.

Their subsequent August deadline dash did little to repair matters. And by the time new boss Marco Silva went into recruitment overdrive in January, the damage had already been done.

The nine days Howe and his players are currently spending in southern Spain could shape the nine months ahead.

Long gone are the days when pre-season was all about running the legs off players who had spent their downtime imbibing and feasting like kings.

It is an exact science today, all structured individual programmes and tactical plans drilled to the nth degree.

Nathan Ake will know what to expect. The price Cherries paid for the Dutchman seemed to knock some noses out of joint in certain quarters.

One suspects the same people sniping about an “inflated” fee for a defender with little Premier League experience, would be sagely praising an “astute” piece of business if the Holland international had signed for Liverpool or Spurs, rather than little old Cherries.

Ake gave us a glimpse of what he will bring to the party during six months with Cherries last season.

What stood out above all else was his almost freaky composure. A lot is made of Cherries’ unique way of playing – and the demands it places on the players: it takes some getting used to.

But on his first top-flight start for the team at Stoke, Ake looked as if he had been part of the furniture for years.

Similarly, on his return to Chelsea, Ake was sparingly used. He did, though, play 120 minutes as part of a back three as Antonio Conte’s side beat Spurs 4-2 in an FA Cup semi-final at Wembley. And he did it with the proverbial cigar on.

Ake brings class on the ball, versatility and underrated defensive quality. He’s a thoroughly nice chap, too, which goes a long way at Dean Court.

Back to that £20million price tag for a moment. The player is 22 years old. Imagine what he’ll be worth after two or three years of working under Howe.

Goalkeeper Begovic has been in the same boat as Ake at Stamford Bridge. At first glance, his decision two years ago to relinquish the gloves at Stoke in favour of a fight for action with Chelsea looked rather odd.

This, though, is a man who left home in Canada to sign for Portsmouth when he was 16. Begovic trawled around various outposts on loan – La Louviere in Belgium, Yeovil, Ipswich and then League One Cherries – as he sought to find his place in the game.

The opportunity to sign for one of Europe’s foremost clubs, then, must have been irresistible for the Bosnian.

Nevertheless, Begovic played only two Premier League matches last term. He will surely be straining at the leash, which can only be a boon for his new employers.

The signing of Defoe was another that seemed to rattle a few cages, doubters pointing to the striker's age and three-year contract. They needn't worry.

This is the consummate professional, utterly besotted with football – witness his emotional reaction to scoring a wonderful volley in a north east derby for Sunderland a couple of years ago.

There is plenty left in the 34-year-old's tank– and much of it will be converted into the goals he guaranteed on the day he breezed into town.

A day when Cherries gained more priceless ground on their Premier League counterparts.