MANAGER Eddie Howe revealed Cherries had embarked on a deliberate shift towards youth with their recruitment policy this summer.

Howe has drafted in six new faces ahead of Cherries’ second season in the Premier League and has also confirmed the club are still active in the transfer market.

Nathan Ake joined Cherries on a season-long loan from Chelsea, while Jordon Ibe, Emerson Hyndman, Brad Smith, Lys Mousset and Lewis Cook all signed permanently.

Although the transfer fees for the five players were undisclosed, Cherries are understood to have paid around £30million – having brought in around £16m from the sales of Matt Ritchie and Tommy Elphick.

However, as Ake, Ibe, Hyndman, Mousset and Cook were all under-21 on January 1 this year, they do not need to be named in Cherries’ 25-man squad for the Premier League, freeing up valuable space.

Howe told the Daily Echo: “Our recruitment policy this year has been thoroughly thought out.

“When we took an overview of the market and looked at the possibility of wanting to improve our squad, we found players in their mid-20s established in the top leagues would be either too expensive for us or impossible to attract.

“So the players who would be potentially available to us would be on two different spectrums. Young and developing or experienced but potentially past their best levels.

“Our philosophy is very much built towards youth, development and long-term progression so hence we have gone down the path we have.

“We also had to factor in the fact that our squad from last season was one of the oldest in the Premier League so we wanted to act now so it remained in balance.”

At 22, defender Smith is the oldest of the six new recruits, the Australia international drafted in from Liverpool for around £3m at the end of last month.

Howe added: “We are excited by Brad. I think he is a player of real athletic qualities. We have already seen in the two home friendlies how much ground he has covered. He very much fits the mould of the attacking full-back we like.

“Like any young player, he would have things he would need to work on and improve. But he is a player of great character and has fitted in really well to the squad. Hopefully, he will prove to be a very good signing.”

Howe added: “We are trying to bed in good habits with the players. Hopefully we have improved during a tough pre-season for the players.

“I would like to think we are building towards being 100 per cent in terms of our fitness levels and making sure we are aware of their roles and responsibilities within the team.

“I think there is more to come and we can get better. We need to make sure we are firing on all cylinders by the time the season kicks off on Sunday.”