'Great signing' - your views on Huijsenpublished at 12:12 26 July
12:12 26 July
We asked for your views on Dean Huijsen, who will sign for Bournemouth subject to completing his medical.
Here are some of your comments:
Richard: Very exciting that we are now attracting players to our club ahead of giants of Serie A and the Bundesliga! Times have changed over the years.
Keith: The Huijsen deal looks another shrewd piece of of business in the mould of Kerkez and Zabarnyi.
Charles: A young player that appears to tick the boxes for Bournemouth. Should fit in with the young squad and a possible investment for the future.
Stew: He seems good value. I really hope his apparent arrogance gets to every striker in the Premier League. Go on youngster, wind them all up.
Tom: Great signing!
Cherries agree £12.6m deal for Juventus' Huijsenpublished at 16:21 25 July
16:21 25 July
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Bournemouth have agreed a £12.6m deal to sign defender Dean Huijsen from Juventus.
The 19-year-old's deal could rise to £15.2m should conditions for performance related bonuses be met.
Huijsen made his senior debut for the Italian giants in October 2023, before spending the second half of the season on loan at Roma where he played 14 times.
The move is subject to a medical at the Vitality Stadium.
Are you happy with your new defender Bournemouth fans? Do you think Huijsen is worth the fee?
'People will start to know us now' - Iraola on US trippublished at 07:53 25 July
07:53 25 July
Simon Stone Chief football news reporter in Loa Angeles
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Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola was not about to let a narrow penalty shootout defeat by Arsenal spoil his overall reflections on a positive trip to the United States.
It is a decade since the Cherries' last visit - and this one was on a totally different scale, against high-profile opposition.
Iraola is delighted at how his players performed in draws against Wrexham and Arsenal.
But he understands there is a wider dimension to the two-match visit to California.
"Arsenal are used to coming here but it is something very important for us as a club," he said.
"Maybe lot of the people didn't know us or our players. Now they will be looking more at AFC Bournemouth.
"It takes a lot of time to build a brand. We are very happy. At the open training session [on Monday] there were a lot of people, including some who made the trip from England to be here.
"It is very good for the club."
Arsenal 1-1 Bournemouth (5-4 pens) - give us your verdictpublished at 07:22 25 July
07:22 25 July
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Arsenal opened their three-match tour of the United States by beating Bournemouth 5-4 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in Los Angeles.
Fabio Vieira gave Arsenal a first-half lead when he met Reiss Nelson's deep cross on the volley and drove it first time into the far bottom corner.
In a competitive game, Karl Hein denied Dominic Solanke then Daniel Jebbison - who was signed from Sheffield United this summer - but had no chance of keeping out Antoine Semenyo’s strike, which hit Omar Rekik as he tried to close the effort down and dropped into the far corner.
It may only be a pre-season friendly but what did you take away from the game?
Bournemouth to install over 600 solar panels in new partnershippublished at 20:01 23 July
20:01 23 July
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Bournemouth are set to install over 600 solar panels at their training ground as they look to reduce the club's carbon emissions.
The Cherries have announced a three-year agreement with energy supplier Utilita to become the club's energy and sustainability partner.
The delivery of the solar panels is part of the deal.
The array will be across the main roof and pitch maintenance building, with the club saying it will reduce annual carbon emissions "by 30,000kg, in addition to a cost saving of £1.5m."
The agreement will also see collaboration on a number of campaigns, including a 20-week initiative with the Community Sports Trust to create awareness locally around green energy and solar power.
This development adds to the Cherries' existing initiatives to become more sustainable, which have included reducing plastic waste with introducing reusable cups since 2018-19 and taking part in the Green Football Weekend by encouraging fans to score 'green goals'.
The effects of adverse weather related to climate change has been increasingly felt in football, with a study last year showing extreme weather has affected 40% of football players and spectators.
One area all Premier League clubs can address to reduce their carbon footprint is their travel, as shown in previous BBC Sport research.
Humans are still neededpublished at 14:21 23 July
14:21 23 July
Pat Nevin Former footballer and presenter
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It isn't quiet in one specific part of the major football clubs - the acquisitions department.
I know that because I was once the acquisitions department - well me and the manager mostly. While each player returned from holidays like a bronzed Adonis, we were cooped up in a small darkened room, beavering the daylight hours away like vampires.
There is plenty of guesswork in the media and a fair bit of leaking from the players and their people, but the clubs usually try to keep their transfer moves as quiet as possible.
If word gets out that a player is available, they know they might lose him to another club or else the price will increase as a bidding war erupts.
These are high stakes games and many are impressed by those who gamble and go early.
Manchester City have always been good enough, and let's be honest wealthy enough, to be able to do this well.
The problem is that some clubs are trying to do the same thing and are ending up paying top dollar for less able players, because they haven't done their due diligence in the market.
This is another area where the use of data, or maybe over-reliance on pure data, comes into play - feed all of the numbers in, let the technology do the crunching, and out comes the answer.
The problem is that everyone else has got the same or similar data.
What is needed, of course, is good human knowledge and the vision to aid the use of the information they have got. This is why these departments should be busy just now, they shouldn't just be doing deals which are admittedly very complex legal and financial documents these days.
Even more time should be spent on ensuring the new £75m player hasn't got a hidden weakness in his game or even the odd skeleton in his closet.
'I trust in my guys and I trust in myself - we don't have a limit'published at 11:56 22 July
11:56 22 July
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Defender Illia Zabarnyi has said Bournemouth "don't have a limit" after last season's record Premier League points tally.
In an interview with club media, external after signing a new five-year contract at Vitality Stadium, the 21-year-old also spoke about pre-season, Andoni Iraola and his best memories of the 2023-24 campaign.
On building on the Cherries winning 48 points to achieve a 12th-place finish in the top flight, Ukraine international Zabarnyi said: "I trust in my guys and I trust in myself. We don't have a limit."
Looking back on last season, he picked out the 3-0 victory at Manchester United - which BBC Sport chief football news reporter Simon Stone at the time said "must go down as one of the most famous triumphs in Bournemouth's history" - as a highlight.
"Winning at Old Trafford, a dream stadium, and beating Manchester United is incredible," Zabarnyi added.
Iraola's side are in the United States as they continue their pre-season, which the centre-back described as "the most important part" of the campaign.
Asked what influence Iraola had on his decision to agree fresh terms, Zabarnyi said the Spaniard is "a great coach", adding: "I like his ideas. It's good what he has given us."
'If someone comes for Solanke, we will have to replace him' - Foleypublished at 11:22 22 July
11:22 22 July
Simon Stone Chief football news reporter
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Bournemouth owner Bill Foley "believes" highly-rated Dominic Solanke will be playing for the Cherries next season.
Solanke made 42 appearances for the Cherries last season, scoring 21 goals and registering four assists.
Exclusively chatting with BBC Sport from Santa Barbara while the Cherries are on a pre-season tour of the United States, Foley tackled transfer interest in the striker and his £65m release clause.
"I believe Dom is going to be with us this coming year," said Foley. "He has a release clause, which is very expensive.
"We shouldn't reveal anything about the contract, but that area [reported £65m] sounds roughly correct.
"I guess if someone comes for him, we are going to have to replace him.
"We have two or three candidates that we have lined up, but I believe Dom will be here next year - and I believe he is going to score 21 or 22 goals."
Foley also discussed the European ambitions of manager Andoni Iraola and his squad, adding: "We have big aspirations, but we are patient.
"Our goal this year is modest. Can we move into the top eight or nine, maybe even sneak into Europe?
"Our real goal is to play in Europe, to give our players a chance to experience Europe, and do it with little Bournemouth."
"Last season was important for me. We achieved a record points total - but we can do more."
Bournemouth chief executive Neill Blake added: "Illia had a remarkable season for us and showed great quality beyond his years."
Iraola's Bournemouth injury frustrationpublished at 08:23 21 July
08:23 21 July
Simon Stone Chief football news reporter in Santa Barbara
Image source, Getty Images
Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola is cursing his bad luck after defender Owen Bevan joined a growing injury list.
Bevan hurt his thigh in the opening stages of the 1-1 friendly draw with Wrexham in Santa Barbara.
Iraola said it was too soon to know whether it is the same injury that wrecked the Wales Under-21 international's planned loan move to Scottish Premiership side Hibernian last season.
But the Cherries boss expects Bevan to be out "for some weeks".
It means he joins Tyler Adams, Enes Unal and David Brooks on the sidelines in missing the start of the Premier League season.
Adams had surgery on his back after aggravating an existing injury during Copa America, Unal has had a foot operation after getting injured in training for Turkey before Euro 2024 and Brooks also needed an operation on the dislocated shoulder he suffered playing for Southampton in the Championship play-off final.
"We are unlucky because three players either got injured or their injuries have got worse without playing for us," said Iraola.
"Owen complained about discomfort in his quad. Until he has a proper MRI scan we cannot say much more but the feeling is he will be out some weeks."
In Bournemouth's opening pre-season game, in front of 13,322 at the Harder Stadium, Marcos Senesi's well-taken second-half effort ensured a draw after James Hill's own goal at the end of the opening period.
Scott ready to push for regular startspublished at 16:43 20 July
16:43 20 July
Simon Stone Chief football news reporter in Santa Barbara
Image source, Getty Images
Alex Scott believes he is one of Bournemouth's best players - and now he intends to prove it.
Scott arrived from Bristol City in a £25m deal last summer with high expectations.
However, the 20-year-old’s hopes of making an immediate impact were dashed by a knee injury that kept him out until the end of October, and he had only played four games when he suffered another issue to his other knee at Manchester City that kept him on the sidelines for another seven weeks.
It was not the best way to make an impression at a new club and it was the end of April before he started successive Premier League games as Bournemouth put together an impressive run to eventually finish 12th in their first season under Andoni Iraola.
Scott is determined to use pre-season preparations in the United States to hit the ground running this term. And he feels that if he does, the chance to shine on a regular basis will follow.
"I trust in my ability and have the self-belief to think I am one of the best players at the club," he said.
"I just have to keep pushing the midfielders ahead of me, learn from them and get to the levels they were at last season. My aim is to get into the team and not drop out."
Scott has already amassed over 100 league games after breaking into the Bristol City team as a 17-year-old.
The injuries were a new, unwanted experience he is determined to put behind him.
"Settling in was difficult,” Scott added. "I was injured for 12 weeks straight away. The second one was a massive blow because I was just starting to learn about the Premier League.
“The hardest part of being a footballer is being in the gym when the rest of the lads are out training. But I stayed focused and got myself back into a good place.
"I am ready to push on now."
Bournemouth face Wrexham in Santa Barbara, California at 00:00 BST. Come back to this page for reaction to that game, including the chance to have your say, on Sunday morning.
Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,
Scott meets WBO cruiserweight boxer and Bournemouth fan Chris Billam-Smith at the club's training camp in Los Angeles this week
Iraola does not know if Solanke will stay or gopublished at 11:40 20 July
11:40 20 July
Simon Stone Chief football news reporter
Image source, Getty Images
The good news, so far, for Bournemouth is that star striker Dominic Solanke remains with the club and is part of the squad that will face Wrexham.
It has been reported the 26-year-old former Liverpool forward has a £65m release clause in his contract that can only be activated by certain clubs.
Cherries boss Andoni Iraola does not want to lose Solanke, who scored an impressive 21 goals last season, including 19 in the Premier League to finish fourth in the Golden Boot standings.
However, the Spaniard is adopting a philosophical approach.
"Dom is happy," he said. "He has come back in very good shape, is training very well and the relationship he has with his team-mates is very good.
"But the market is open. You cannot say he is going to stay or that he is going to leave because we don't know.
"In the end, it is something you cannot control."
'He felt it was getting worse'published at 09:53 20 July
09:53 20 July
Simon Stone Chief football news reporter
Image source, Getty Images
Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola has explained how the club were left with no option with Tyler Adams other than an operation.
The midfielder, who has been on international duty with the United States at Copa America, faces a lengthy spell out after surgery on a back injury.
"He finished the season with an injury in his back,” said Iraola.
"He wanted to play Copa America because it was very important for him, but he had restrictions and was still in pain, so two days after they were knocked out, he had surgery.
"He is out for some time. It is difficult to say how long but he won't be fit for the start of the season. But September? October? I don't know."
Asked why Bournemouth did not stop Adams from going on international duty, Iraola said: "It was not our choice. It is a decision for the nations, who are allowed to select players. He wanted to play thinking the injury would get better but he felt it was getting worse."
Do clubs actually play more games?published at 11:11 19 July
11:11 19 July
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It seems inevitable a host of Premier League managers will point to fixture congestion in the months to come.
When injuries mount, or when time on the training ground is squeezed, coaches often reference the intense nature of the calendar.
But research conducted by the respected CIES Football Observatory has delivered data which shows clubs are - on average - not playing more competitive games than they have in the last couple of decades.
The CIES looked at 677 clubs across 40 leagues. In looking at a period from 2012 to 2024, its findings show in 2023-24, the average club played 42.4 competitive matches. In 2014-15 that figure was 42.6 and in 2020-21 it hit 43.9.
And if focus is placed on sides competing in the Champions League, data gathered between 2000 and 2024 also shows sides are not setting fixture records in the current game, as some managers may like to loosely imply.
In looking at the five major European Leagues, the CIES claim Champions League competitors played an average of 50.8 matches last season.
In 2020-21 they averaged 57.9 and in 2002-03 they contested 55.2.
Manchester United played in 52 competitive games last season, down from highs of 71 in 2020-21 and 66 in 2008-09.
Across all of the clubs analysed, only 4% played more than 60 games last season. In 2012-13, the figure stood at 5.1%.
While clubs may play added friendlies and - it would be fair to say - individual matches tend to be longer given increased injury time in the current game, the data shows that competitive fixture numbers are flat or have in most cases fallen, even if disgruntled managers say otherwise.
