AFC Bournemouth sign centre back Bafode Diakite from Lille

The Frenchman joins after the departure of both Dean Huijsen and Illia Zabarnyi to Real Madrid and PSG, for a fee of €35million plus €5million in add-ons.

That fee is the second-most the club has paid for a player, after they bought Evanilson for a total fee of up to £40.2million.

The centre back told the club website: “I’m really happy to be here and I’m very excited to start with the team. I know the coach has great ideas which enables us to play well in the Premier League. Now I’m at the club, it’s a good opportunity to show how I can help the team going forward.

(Image: Peter Byrne/PA Wire) “I’m a defender who likes to have the ball and play with it, and I hope to show my qualities both with and without it. I will give everything for the team and I hope we will have some great moments together.”

President of football operations, Tiago Pinto, said: “We’re thrilled to welcome Bafodé to the club.

“He is someone that has already played a lot of games despite still being early on in his career, and his ambition is something that matches that of the club very well.

“We’re really pleased to add him to our squad alongside our other new additions in Adrian Truffert and Djordje Petrovic, as well as Junior Kroupi who has been with the team this summer.”

Diakite is the club’s third signing of the summer, after keeper Djordje Petrovic and left back Adrien Truffert.

The latter two signings replaced the outgoing Kepa and Milos Kerkez, with the Spaniard returning to Chelsea from his loan before moving to Arsenal, and the Hungarian joining Liverpool.

Huijsen departed for Madrid after the Spanish giants activated his £50m release clause, and Zabarnyi’s move to PSG was confirmed by the club on Tuesday, for a fee of €63m with €3m in add-ons.

Diakite is the first centre back the Cherries have signed this summer, with Andoni Iraola making it clear that he needs two in the remainder of the window, to ensure Huijsen and Zabarnyi are replaced.

The 24-year-old joins on a five-year deal, signing a contract until 2030, and will wear the number 18 shirt at the club.

He has played 112 times for Lille, with 48 appearances last season, scoring 13 total goals, with four of those in the 24/25 campaign.

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