TOMMY Elphick revealed how boss Eddie Howe’s poker face amid a whirlwind summer of transfer speculation had extended to the Cherries squad.

The skipper insisted his manager had been correct not to give players the inside line on his recruitment drive as Cherries acted swiftly to secure five permanent signings and complete a season-long loan deal this summer.

Moves for goalkeepers Artur Boruc and Adam Federici were swiftly followed by the signing of flexible frontrunner Joshua King before Ghana international Christian Atsu was borrowed from Chelsea.

The record-busting transfer of Tyrone Mings was completed a fortnight ago with seasoned defender Sylvain Distin then completing a free transfer to Dean Court.

Despite the hive of activity, the rumour mill remains in overdrive as to who else could be on Howe’s hit list but while Elphick admitted the paper talk had heightened anticipation among the players, he backed the manager's steadfast silence over his targets.

Elphick told the Daily Echo: “It is great for the profile of the club to see us being linked with some big names and it shows how far we have come. This is the territory we are in now.

"Even last season, we brought in fresh faces and the squad was revamped a bit. Going into this pre-season, the squad was at the highest standard I have known by a long stretch which will only bring out the best in everyone.

“In some ways, the rumours can be quite exciting for the players but while we talk about it, I think everyone has to understand the importance of not getting too wrapped up in it all.

“If you’re not careful, you can get lost in these things so there is no point dwelling on it too much until a player lands. Then, it is up to us to help them to quickly understand our ethics and get settled as quickly as possible.

“Some of the names we have been linked with and ones we have already signed are high-calibre players with top reputations but it is not really the players’ territory to be engaged in those conversations with the manager before they arrive.

“With the way social media is nowadays, very little sneaks under the radar and you might get to hear about things through agents or other players.

“But the gaffer is very shrewd and the first we know is when a new player gets introduced to us, even if we have read bits about it before. He wouldn’t give us a heads up and that is only right because there are so many things to consider.

“Over the past few years, the manager has proved he has a knack of getting the best from the market so from a players’ point of view, you only really focus on it when someone arrives.”