JOSHUA King admits he "had some difficulty understanding" why Cherries rejected bids for him during last summer's transfer window.

After months of speculation, the striker left Cherries on deadline day of the winter transfer window, leaving to join Everton in February for a nominal fee, with his contract having just a few months left to run at Vitality Stadium.

The move came almost a year to the day on from Cherries turning down a bid from Manchester United for King, despite the Norway international being keen to complete the move back to his former club.

During the summer transfer window, the Daily Echo understands Cherries rejected offers for King from both Torino and West Ham, with the 29-year-old instead remaining at Vitality Stadium. West Ham's offer is understood to have been around £13million.

He played 14 times for Cherries this season under former boss Jason Tindall, scoring three goals, before leaving to join the Toffees, in a deal reportedly worth £5million.

Discussing the events of last summer following relegation from the Premier League, in quotes translated from an interview with Norwegian outlet TV 2, King said: "I was on summer vacation and was asked not to come back, because they were going to sell me. Then things happened, which I will come out with later.

"But I did not have any 'beef' with Bournemouth because of what happened. When I returned, they declined a bid from West Ham.

"Then they called me on deadline day and said they would lend me. I had some difficulty understanding why they went from saying no to two bids, to suddenly letting me go on loan.

"I think that is a question I never get an answer to."

Reflecting on the club's decision to not let him join Manchester United the previous year, King added: "Of course, it was frustrating. It is one of the biggest clubs in the world and it would have been fun to go back where it all started in England.

"But that's life as a football player. You are under contract and you can not choose to go whenever you want, you have to be bought out.

"It did not happen. I'm not so bitter now, but when it happened I was quite disappointed that it did not go through."

King netted 53 goals in 184 appearances across all competitions for Cherries.