Bournemouth

Mark Mitchener
BBC Sport Senior Journalist

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With a retooled defence and new keeper, Bournemouth will have largely the same squad as last season further forward, with Antoine Semenyo's new contract warding off the transfer vultures for now, although the unsettled Dango Ouattara's future remains unclear.

He appears to be in a complicated chain of dominoes which could involve Alexander Isak leaving Newcastle, who would sign Yoane Wissa from Brentford, who would sign Ouattara from the Cherries, if another winger can be brought to Dorset.

Eli Junior Kroupi is an exciting addition in attack, signed in January but loaned back to Lorient for the remainder of last season. However, Iraola looks set to start the season on Friday without injured trio Lewis Cook, Justin Kluivert and Ryan Christie, though it is hoped the latter two may return soon.

While the doom-mongers may latch onto the three defensive sales and predict imminent catastrophe (expect that noise to be amplified if Bournemouth get a hiding at Liverpool on Friday), it is important to remember the context.

Back in the summer of 2005, fans were up in arms when Burnley signed three-quarters of the Cherries' regular midfield quartet, two on Bosman-style free transfers and the third for £35,000.

Selling three defenders to the champions of Europe, the champions of England and the 15-time former champions of Europe, is another indicator of how far Bournemouth have come.

As Newcastle are finding with Isak, if a high-profile player wishes to leave for a bigger opportunity, it is difficult to stand in their way, even with a sovereign wealth fund handing Newcastle far greater riches than Bournemouth.

The financial model of buying young talent to sell for big profits a year or two down the line appears to be the only route open to the likes of Bournemouth, Brighton and Brentford.

A year ago, the prophets of doom latched onto the sale of Dominic Solanke, only for the Cherries to score more goals, earn more points and finish higher than ever before.

So as the mantra goes, 'trust the process'.

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The draw for the second round of the Carabao Cup has been made.

The EFL Cup remains regionalised in the early rounds, with the draw split into Northern and Southern sections until round three.

Here are the ties involving Premier League clubs:

Northern section

Sheffield Wednesday v Leeds United

Burnley v Derby County

Everton v Mansfield Town

Grimsby Town v Manchester United

Sunderland v Huddersfield Town

Southern section

Bournemouth v Brentford

Fulham v Bristol City

Oxford United v Brighton

Wolves v West Ham United

The 23 second-round ties will take place during the week beginning 25 August.

See the full draw over here

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Amine Adli has given his preference to join Bournemouth amid rival interest.

Talks between the two clubs over a move reportedly worth £26m are ongoing, but the 25-year-old has told all parties about his desire to move to the south coast this summer.

The move may be linked to Dango Outtara's potential exit as he draws interest from Brentford.

Mark Mitchener
BBC Sport Senior Journalist

Image source, Getty Images

The signing of Lille centre-back Bafode Diakite on Wednesday will boost morale after fans spent the summer watching their defence dismembered by Europe's elite.

The sales of Dean Huijsen to Real Madrid, Milos Kerkez to Liverpool and Illia Zabarnyi to Paris St-Germain brought in a staggering £147m, but left boss Andoni Iraola needing to rebuild a backline that last season conceded the fewest Premier League goals of their eight seasons in the top flight.

But the signs are encouraging.

The lengthy Kerkez saga meant his left-back replacement Adrien Truffert was signed before Kerkez had even put pen to paper at Anfield, and the former Rennes captain has slotted in seamlessly in pre-season.

While Diakite, signed barely 48 hours before the start of the new season, may take time to adjust to his new surroundings, in central defence Bournemouth already have Marcos Senesi (a Premier League regular for two seasons before his injury propelled Huijsen into the limelight), and James Hill.

A £1m capture from Fleetwood in 2022, Hill has had to wait patiently for first-team opportunities, but never let Iraola down when called upon last season. His versatility allowed him to fill in at full-back when required, and he also came on in a defensive midfield role a couple of times when the Cherries were frantically chasing games.

Bournemouth may seek another central defender before the transfer window closes and that could spell the end of Chris Mepham's first-team chances as he enters the last year of his contract.

The Wales international spent last season on loan at Sunderland although a rumoured permanent move to Wearside has not materialised. He featured in pre-season and would provide experienced back-up if no further defenders are signed.

More from Mark on Thursday.

Have you got a question about Bournemouth or is there a topic you want more information on? Have you spotted a Cherries theme or trend that needs further investigation?

Well, this season we're making it easier for you to get in touch and ask - and we will do our best to use our expertise here at BBC Sport to give you direct answers.

Our team can call upon a network of contacts - including our reporters, pundits and other experts - to find out everything you need to know.

No question is too big or too small, so fire away using the link below and we will answer the best of them throughout the campaign.

Ask about Bournemouth here

And find out more about BBC Sport's Ask Me Anything service here

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Bournemouth are in talks to sign Fulham winger Macauley Zepa but expect competition from Nottingham Forest.

The French youngster is looking to leave Craven Cottage amid concerns about his pathway into Marco Silva's first team having refused to sign a professional contract on his 17th birthday in July.

Fulham would be due compensation but Bournemouth are looking to extend the ambition of their academy following renewed training ground investment under Bill Foley's ownership.

Zepa scored 11 goals and supplied 10 assists in 30 league matches for Fulham's Under-18s last season and is understood to be negotiating terms over a move into Bournemouth's academy team.

However, there is caution given known interest from Forest and the potential for a rival offer.

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Former Cherries defender Joe Partington will be BBC Radio Solent's new Bournemouth summariser for the 2025-26 season.

Partington came through the ranks at Bournemouth in the late 2000s and spent nine seasons at the club.

He replaces John "Willo" Williams, who left the station at the end of last season after 23 years as football pundit.

"My role will be to support Jordan Clark with the co-commentary," Partington explained.

"He does an amazing job of painting a picture of what's happening so people can understand on the radio what's going on.

"My role will be to support the picture he's painting by giving insight and expertise of different moments within the game."

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The latest episode of BBC Radio Solent's Cherries: Unpicked has landed on BBC Sounds.

The team preview Bournemouth's Premier League opener against Liverpool on Friday after a summer of big change in the backline at Vitality Stadium.

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

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New Bournemouth defender Bafode Diakite says he "will give everything for the team" after completing his £34.6m move from Lille.

The 24-year-old will cost the Cherries an initial fee of £30.3m, plus up to £4.3m in add-ons, which makes him Bournemouth's second most expensive signing.

He made 31 Ligue 1 appearances last season as Lille finished fifth in the French top flight, and also played 10 times in the Champions League.

Scoring 13 times across his 112 games for the club since joining in 2022, Lille say he is the highest-scoring defender in France during his three years.

"I'm really happy to be here and I'm very excited to start with the team," Diakite told club media.

"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.

"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."

Having lost three key defenders this window - Illia Zabarnyi becoming the latest sale on Tuesday - the centre-back is set to play a key role in Andoni Iraola's side this season when it gets under way against Liverpool on Friday.

"We're thrilled to welcome Bafode to the club," president of football operations Tiago Pinto added.

"He is someone who 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."

Bournemouth have agreed a deal with Bayer Leverkusen for 25-year-old Morocco forward Amine Adli. (Footmercato - in French), external

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

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Tom Jordan
Fan writer

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It has been a pretty busy summer of activity for the Cherries, with plenty of notable outgoings, but there is still much reason to remain hopeful.

A contract extension for in-demand winger Antoine Semenyo and a couple of new additions with Djordje Petrovic and Adrien Truffert have been music to the ears for many of us. Indeed, due to some of the outstanding finds previously from our recruitment team, any new incoming is met with real excitement - so hopes are high with these two.

Similarly, we still have head coach Andoni Iraola, a man whose brand of football and tactical insight has enhanced the quality of each player substantially since his arrival. Therefore, with him at the helm, the Bournemouth faithful will always remain optimistic.

However, there is always a flip side. The club have lost four of their back five from last season's record-breaking campaign.

Goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga was only on a loan, Dean Huijsen's exceptional season meant his £50m release clause was always going to be triggered, and Milos Kerkez to Liverpool always felt on the cards.

However it is the departure of Ilia Zabarnyi that felt a bit out of the blue - but when the Champions League winners PSG come knocking, it is hard for the club to present a case to Zabarnyi to stay.

Replacing each of these has remained at the forefront and despite having no doubt that the club will do so adequately, it may well take time to adapt, so there is an obvious fear that the mass change may make the season more of a struggle.

The defensive unit were so key to the club achieving their greatest ever finish, so it is essential we can rely on this department being as solid as possible.

Interesting times ahead!

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Illia Zabarnyi has become the third major sale from Bournemouth's defence this summer after Dean Huijsen joined Real Madrid and Liverpool signed Milos Kerkez.

So are the Cherries in trouble defensively?

BBC Sport pundit Chris Sutton says the situation is a "nightmare."

Journalist Rory Smith told BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club: "That [back line] is difficult to replace. I'm not worried in the sense that they will get relegated, but it will be a great challenge for Andoni Iraola.

"They will still be great going forward but rebuilding that defence will be difficult.

"We are just days away from the first game of the season so the timing isn't great and I am sure they would have preferred Zabarnyi to leave earlier if he was going to go."

Watch the full episode on BBC iPlayer or listen on BBC Sounds

Simon Stone
Chief football news reporter

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Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola has no issues with having to change his plans because he has lost so many players.

Defender Illia Zabarnyi is close to completing a £57m move to Paris St-Germain. It would follow on from Dean Huijsen and Milos Kerkez as a big money exit from the squad that finished a club record equalling ninth in the Premier League last term.

Rather than be irritated by the losses, Iraola treats the demand to find solutions as a challenge, as he outlined when he spoke to BBC Sport in Atlanta just over a week ago.

"I do not want to lose players but when the window is open, you never know what's going to happen," he said.

"Obviously, if the more important players stay with us, it's going to be easier - but if something else happens, we will also adapt.

"We will be like the club. They will be ready for whatever the situation is - and we will do our job.

"Whatever the scenario is, when the market finishes, the club will give us the players to compete."

Iraola is aware of the additional scrutiny on him this season after Bournemouth came so close to securing European qualification for the first time.

However, he is adamant he will not allow past success to be the measure by which he is judged this term.

"It has to be a reset," Iraola added. "We start from zero. Everyone starts from zero.

"Once you play one or two games, nobody will remember what we did last season."

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Bournemouth's new £25m goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic has praised the club's swiftness in completing his transfer from Chelsea.

Speaking to BBC Radio Solent, he said: "I am very happy, very excited. I have met a lot of nice guys and team-mates.

"We have a nice atmosphere and I am really happy to be a part of this club. My agent spoke to the club in February and they really wanted me in the middle of June.

"It was a perfect step for me. There was a lot of options, but Bournemouth was the faster one, and they really wanted me.

"You can see how much the people in the club want to achieve something higher, and that is something I want to do as well, so that is one of the reasons why I chose Bournemouth."

Listen to the full clip on BBC Sounds

Image source, AFC Bournemouth website

Bournemouth have unveiled their third kit for the 2025-26 season.

A club statement explains that it is the first time the Cherries have worn pink since the 2015-16 season, which was their second as a Premier League club and included away wins against Newcastle and Crystal Palace wearing the colour.

"The eye-catching design combines two vibrant shades of pink with bold purple accents, ensuring Andoni Iraola's side stand out on the road this season," the club added.

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We asked for your views on how ready Bournemouth are for the new season after the Cherries finished their pre-season with two draws against Real Sociedad on Saturday.

Here are some of your comments:

Brad: I thought the boys looked quite good at the pre-season match. No goals, but keeper looks solid, as does our defence, which was a big worry. I think we'll be solid, but perhaps not reaching the heights of last season. I'll be there at Anfield on Friday, a 22 hour round coach trip to watch the boys! What could be better?

Simon: Hard to tell from pre-season, but selling at least two, possibly five, of your best players and apparently only replacing one is concerning. What also worries me as a Cherries fan is this popular 'I want to see what other options are available' culture that's rife at the moment. Looking as Isak at Newcastle and possibly Ouattara here, it could spell trouble for the smaller clubs. Loyalty is not a word for 2025.

Steve: With only one week to go before the start of the Premier League season I'm really hoping we can sign a couple of centre-backs and an additional striker. Plenty of possible player rumours around, but I will trust in Andoni and the AFCB recruitment team, backed by Bill Foley, to get the job done...

Paul: Bournemouth desperately need another centre-back to support Hill and Senesi and maybe a little help upfront - although Ouattara and Unal are more than capable if they both stay healthy. Everywhere else looks strong.

Charles: I still believe that the club is in its infancy regarding player acquisition and moving on. The new training facilities will gather new talent but it will take a few years to see the successful results. So, AFCB will have to trade, much to the supporters' dismay. Recent sales show the expectation to see players stay longer than a couple of seasons, or even just one. The club is not big enough - yet. I'm sure they will get new talent but there will be growing pains.

Paul: Bournemouth football club's philosophy is to buy young and cheap and then sell on for a profit after a few years in the team. Dean went a bit early. Best to have sold players early in the transfer window. Buying now means they unfortunately won't be able for the start next Friday at Liverpool.

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Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola spoke to BBC Radio Solent after the club's final pre-season match against Real Sociedad.

On Illya Zabarnyi: "You know me, I hate this month. Things are happening. Zaba [Illya Zabarnyi] has not played in our last two games but it is not official so we have to wait. I think it will happen but we have to wait until everything is signed and official".

On an attempt to sign Bafode Diakite: "We are trying to sign centre-backs after we lost Dean [Huijsen] and Zabarnyi. I can't talk about players that are not ours. We need two new centre-backs. It will be impossible to replace the ones that have left but the best centre-backs we can find, the club is working on it".

On the future of Dango Ouattara: "He is our player, I don't want to lose him, but I haven't wanted to lose any of the players this summer. While the window is open there will be speculation. I don't know what will happen but I hate these things because you have players and you don't know who could be available. We have lost important players but this is something we cannot change. When the market ends, I hope we will be in the best situation [possible]."

Listen to full interview on BBC Sounds here.

Pre-season is completed and the countdown to the 2025-26 season is on.

It's been a quiet summer at Bournemouth with two arrivals and five departures.

The season starts at Liverpool on Friday - but are they ready?

Get in touch

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Bournemouth drew 0-0 with Real Sociedad at Vitality Stadium on Saturday to round of their pre-season campaign.

Summer signing from Chelsea goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic made the game's key intervention when he saved a Mikel Oyarzabal just before half-time.

Earlier, Andoni Iraola's side drew 1-1 with Sociedad in a behind-closed-doors friendly at the club's training ground, with Evanilson on the scoresheet.

You have been sharing your stories and photos about why you love Bournemouth.

Here is a final selection of your submissions, but do make sure you scroll down this page to see all the best responses from throughout the week:

Roger: Supporter since 1961 when my dad first took me to Dean Court aged five. My first away match was at Luton in 1969. The promotions are special memories - York 1971, Fulham 1987, Carlisle 2013, Charlton 2015 and Nottingham Forest 2022.

I received my O-level results away at Watford in August 1972 via a half time announcement. A shame we lost 3-2 (after being 2-0 up!).

Ron: I was nine years old when the Football League restarted after World War Two.

Together with a group of pals I would cycle 10 miles each way every Saturday afternoon to Dean Court (now Vitality Stadium) to watch either the first team or the reserves of Bournemouth and Boscombe Athletic FC.

I have followed them through thick and thin, from Division Three (South) to the dizzy heights of the Premier League.

At 78, distance and infirmity preclude me from attending matches, but I often wonder if there are any of my contemporaries who recall those times.