New Bournemouth boss Jason Tindall admits he was surprised by the departure of predecessor Eddie Howe and has assurances the club will not conduct a "fire sale" following Premier League relegation.
Long-serving manager Howe left by mutual consent on Saturday, August 1 after failing to prolong the south coast club's top-flight stay to a sixth season.
Tindall worked as assistant to Howe for more than 11 years in two spells with the Cherries, either side of a 21-month stint at Burnley.
The 42-year-old revealed he was not expecting his former colleague to leave the Vitality Stadium, before agreeing to replace him on a three-year contract with the aim of bouncing back from the Sky Bet Championship.
"Myself and Ed had a conversation. He told me of his decision," said Tindall at his first press conference since being appointed.
"To be honest, I was a little bit surprised by it because we had spoken in the week building up to that.
"He didn't want to compromise me in any way, letting me know his final decision once he had made it and spoken to his family. I was a little bit surprised that Saturday, yes.
"I will be my own man, for sure, but at the same time Eddie is a friend and we will be speaking and meet up from time to time.
"You don't go from having the friendship and working relationship we've had for so long to not speaking to someone, so we have been in contact."
Bournemouth have already sold star defender Nathan Ake to Manchester City for £41million, while they rejected an offer from Sheffield United for goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale.
International players such as Joshua King, Callum Wilson and David Brooks are among those expected to attract significant interest before the Cherries begin their quest for an immediate Premier League return.
Very excited to join @mancity. Can't wait to get started! 💙🦈 #mancity pic.twitter.com/q5ZU6Hoav5 — Nathan Aké (@NathanAke) August 5, 2020
Tindall says offers will be considered on an individual basis and is adamant he would not have taken the job had he been ordered to make wholesale changes to his squad by Russian owner Maxim Demin.
"This club has always had speculation of their players being linked with other clubs which goes to show the quality players we've got," said Tindall, whose only previous managerial role came at non-league Weymouth between 2007 and 2008.
"In that respect it's no different and any club that gets relegated from any division, there is always speculation linking players with other clubs.
"That's something we are just going to have to deal with and accept that a lot of it is paper talk. As and when offers come in, that's the decision the club has then got to make.
"Of course (outgoing transfers) were part of the discussions when deciding whether to take the job or not.
"If the club turned around and say, 'there's going to be a fire sale, you're going to end up losing eight or nine players' then I wouldn't be sitting in this seat now."
Aside from Ake and Ramsdale, Bournemouth have yet to receive any bids for players.
Asked specifically if England striker Wilson and Norway forward King will still be Cherries players when the new campaign starts next month, Tindall replied: "As it stands now, they're still here, they are contracted to the club.
"(If) an offer comes in for any one of the players contracted to this club then it will be a decision the club will have to make in terms of whether the offer is acceptable or meets their valuation.
"Until that time, they (Wilson and King) are Bournemouth players and with the characters and the players that they are – how professional they are – they will remain that way."
