Bournemouth

Jordan Clark
BBC Radio Solent

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It's a big blow for Bournemouth to lose Milos Kerkez but they've known this was probably coming for some time and have prepared well for his departure by signing left-backs Julio Soler and Adrien Truffert before they've allowed the Hungarian international to leave.

The £40m represents another strong profit for the Cherries too and looks like good business when you consider the £31m Manchester City have just paid for Rayan Ait-Nouri.

I'm sure it will hurt some fans that Richard Hughes has come back to Bournemouth to take Kerkez to Liverpool but I think it was inevitable that he was going to leave and if it wasn't the Reds then it would have probably been another top European club that came in for him.

It's been a pleasure to watch Kerkez develop over the last two years and he is now rightly one of the most expensive left-back's in the world. He'll be a significant loss to the Cherries defensively and in attack. He did take a season to find his feet in the Premier League though and I'm not sure Bournemouth can afford that with his replacement. Truffert is a few years older at 23 and I'm sure the hope will be that his extra experience and style of play will mean he can hit the ground running next season.

Listen to more analysis on the latest episode of Cherries: Unpicked

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Bournemouth are on a "fine line" in building a future whereby talented players don't view the club as a stepping stone.

That's the view of former player Joe Partington during a summer in which Dean Huijsen has left for Real Madrid and Milos Kerkez is bound for Liverpool.

On the latest episode of Cherries: Unpicked, Partington said: "Bournemouth have reached a certain level now where a lot of teams in Europe want to come and take those players.

"The difficult thing the club have got to do now is sign players that do very, very well but then want to stay at Bournemouth and continue to do well and don't necessarily see it as a place where they might be able to go onto greater things afterwards.

"I suppose that Huijsen and Kerkez have paved the way now for players to believe they can come to Bournemouth and do well and that the training ground and facilities are now at a certain level that players at the top of the game want to come and be involved in that.

"But they do have to be very careful that all they're doing is not basically nurturing players for other teams and that these players are consistently contributing to the success of the football club.

"It's a fine line that the club are on at the moment between success and maybe not having players to recreate that season upon season. Obviously it's a big job the guys at the club have got who manage that process to try and sustain a certain level of consistency."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

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A new episode of BBC Radio Solent's Cherries: Unpicked podcast is available on BBC Sounds.

The team chat the latest on Bournemouth's transfer business, including Milos Kerkez, Adrien Truffert, Illia Zabarnyi and Daniel Jebbison.

Listen to the full episode here

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Liverpool are advancing talks to sign defender Milos Kerkez for a fee of around £40m-£45m.

Sources with knowledge of the situation say that the talks have yet to complete but there is expectation from all parties that the Hungary left-back will soon move to Anfield on a long-term deal.

Bournemouth have already signed his replacement Adrien Truffert from Rennes.

Meanwhile, Kerkez's father was quoted as saying "personal terms have been agreed, we just need to sort out some details but that is basically a done deal" to Hungarian outlet Blic, external.

Kerkez started all 38 Premier League matches, contributing two goals and six assists for Bournemouth as they recorded their a club-record 56 points in the Premier League, finishing ninth in the process.

Kerkez has made 23 appearances for Hungary and previously played for Gyor and AZ Alkmaar while also having a spell at AC Milan without making a senior appearance.

The reigning Premier League champions have also agreed a £116m deal to sign Germany international Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen.

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Following the release of the 2025-26 Premier League fixtures, we asked you to have your say on how the schedule has fallen for Bournemouth.

Here are some of your comments:

Chris: Liverpool away will be a tough start as we face the prospect of beginning the season without four of the five in defence that performed so solidly last year. The new defensive set-up will need time to bed in, so I foresee a slow start to the season for us Cherries... lurking around 15th to 16th after 10 games.

Pete: Difficult away start, but keep the faith. Andoni Iraola and the recruitment team will again work their magic. Must sign centre-half and goalkeeper. Can't wait for season to start.

Paul: I don't know how these fixtures are drawn up but it's done with total disregard for the fans who have to travel to Liverpool on a Friday night which also means taking time off work. Once again, further proof that it's money that holds all the aces in all levels of football and fans don't matter a hoot.

Josey: Cherries in the bottom three.

Opta has ranked the difficulty of each top-flight team's first five Premier League fixtures of the 2025-26 season.

According to Opta's model, Manchester United have the hardest start, followed by their opening-weekend opponents Arsenal and then Bournemouth.

Aston Villa's first five games have been ranked the easiest, alongside Crystal Palace.

Take a look below to see where your side places...

Aside from the opening fixture at Liverpool and the final game of the season against Nottingham Forest, all dates are subject to change as a result of broadcast and other requirements.

See Bournemouth's full fixture list here

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After securing a first victory over Manchester City last season, Bournemouth will be aiming to repeat that feat when they face Pep Guardiola's side at the start of November.

The return meeting has been scheduled for the penultimate weekend at Vitality Stadium.

Andoni Iraola and his team will also have eyes on 15 August and 24-25 January, the two dates they are due to play defending champions Liverpool - and potentially an early reunion with Milos Kerkez if he moves to Anfield.

And what about the schedule over Christmas and New Year? Well, Bournemouth's festive fixtures include home games against Burnley and Arsenal, plus away trips to Brentford and Chelsea.

Finally, the Cherries will close their campaign at Nottingham Forest on Sunday, 24 May 2026 - when all 10 matches will kick off at 16:00 BST.

Looking at the fixture list, where do you think Iraola's side will be after 10 games? Have your say here

Bournemouth will travel to Liverpool in their opening game of the 2025-26 Premier League season.

The match will take place on Friday, 15 August at 20:00 BST, with the Cherries' first home fixture against Wolves on the weekend of 23-24 August.

See Bournemouth's Premier League fixtures in full here

Where do you think Cherries will be after 10 games and what do you make of how the fixtures have fallen? Tell us here

Bournemouth's Max Aarons is a target for Rangers, with the Cherries favouring a permanent sale for the right-back rather than a loan. (Daily Record), external

Want more transfer news? Read Wednesday's full gossip column

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As the transfer window is now open again until 1 September, we asked you to tell us one player you want Bournemouth to sign, and a player you want to be sold this summer.

Here are some of your comments:

Chris: Sell Semenyo. The team had a great season and he stood out as a player who can carry the ball and beat a man - when we were controlling games and having lots of the ball. But with star names from the defence leaving the club, I'm not convinced he will have the opportunities to do the same next season, so cashing in while his value is high might be good business given the likes of Manchester United and Liverpool are apparently showing interest. Buy - I would look to bring in a strong performer from the Championship. Josh Murphy had a great season at Portsmouth, as did Tom Fellows from West Brom.

Ross: I don't think the club have any players they need to sell but they could make some permanent deals for the players who went on loan last season (not Philip Billing - bring him back). As for buys - a permanent goalkeeper would be good, as would a lot of defensive players to give players a rest throughout the season so there aren't a lot of injuries throughout or at the end of the campaign.

Lewis: There are too many in the midfield who clearly aren't good enough for a top-half team. Alex Scott is a poor man's Ryan Christie and Tyler Adams is a liability. That is where the buy and sell needs to happen!

Geoff: Sell Mark Travers and replace with Kepa Arrizabalaga.

Merlin: It would be interesting to see whether we make an offer for Jean-Philippe Mateta and Marc Guehi at Crystal Palace. They are both very talented players and we need more depth in that centre-back position with no more Dean Huijsen and Illia Zabarnyi looking likely to leave.

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Bournemouth's new signing Adrien Truffert has the potential to reach the same level as Milos Kerkez, according to French football expert Julien Laurens.

With Kerkez possibly Liverpool-bound, the Cherries' move for Truffert on a five-year contract was confirmed on Monday.

The 23-year-old has already played in Europe's elite competitions, been a regular feature for France Under-21s side and made his senior international debut in 2022.

"He was one of Ligue 1's best left-backs in a very competitive position," Laurens told BBC Radio Solent.

"He's been a very solid player for France U21s for many years, and I think he's been outstanding again this season in what was an average season from Rennes' point of view.

"Bournemouth are going to sell Kerkez for a very good amount of money to get a good replacement - not at the same level as Kerkez, but with the potential to be at that level. For that price, it's a really good signing.

"He's a great crosser of the ball, has good quality technically and is a smart player. He is physically not the tallest - but for a left-back, he is the right size, with good pace and is a good defender."

Listen to the full interview on BBC Sounds here

No sooner does the season finish and we start looking forward to key dates for the next campaign - and that will be a lot easier to do on Wednesday when the Premier League fixtures are released.

That's right, that special day in the calendar is almost here already. The day when you'll learn details of derby fixtures, Christmas opponents and end-of-season run-ins.

This page will bring you all the fixtures when they drop at 09:00 BST on Wednesday and we'll be giving you the chance to have your say on how things look.

The new campaign kicks off on the weekend of Saturday, 16 August and it will conclude on Sunday, 24 May 2026, when all 10 games will take place at the same time.

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New Bournemouth signing Adrien Truffert says he is "looking forward to testing myself" after completing his move from Rennes.

The 23-year-old left-back has signed on a five-year contract for £11.4m, with £3m in bonuses and add-ons.

Truffert made his debut for Rennes in September 2020 and went on to make 212 appearances and was named club captain last year.

"I'm really happy and proud," he told Cherries club media.

"It's a great opportunity for me to keep progressing and to be part of an ambitious project. I felt the club's confidence in me from the first discussions, and I'm excited to get started.

"It's a dream for any player to play in the Premier League. It's one of the best and most competitive leagues in the world. I'm looking forward to testing myself at this level, facing top players every week, and helping the team achieve great things."

With strong interest from Liverpool in current left-back Milos Kerkez, France international Truffert could end up being the direct replacement in that position.

Cherries president of football operations Tiago Pinto added: "Adrien is a player we've admired for some time and he brings significant experience to the squad despite still being just 23 years of age.

"We're excited to work with Adrien and are thrilled to have a player of such quality join us as we look to build on a record-breaking season for the club."

The transfer window is open again for summer business to be conducted.

Clubs can now strike deals until the deadline at 19:00 BST on 1 September.

So if you can sell one player who is it? And if you can buy one player only, who gets the nod?

Give us reasons for your choice but remember, in this instance it's a strict one player leaving and one coming in.

Send your selections

Paris St-Germain have agreed personal terms with Bournemouth defender Illia Zabarnyi, 22, and are in talks over a fee with the Ukrainian's club. (Fabrizio Romano), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Monday's full gossip column

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