Bournemouth

Josh Lobley
BBC Sport Researcher

Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Nottingham Forest (kick-off 15:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• On the move for Porto striker Evanilson, Iraola said: "The player is here and is going through the medical stuff. There is a lot of paperwork to do so nothing is finished. We hope we can finish the deal."

• More on the Brazilian: "He's a proper number nine who has experience of playing at a high level. I think he can help us to fill the hole that Dom [Solanke] left. You have to replace as well as you can, and I think the club has gone through the plan and done the right thing."

• On the completed singing Julian Araujo: "He is an offensive full-back. His profile fits us very well, he's physical and can sustain the high rhythm we want to impose. He's trained really well this week and I hope he can help us."

• On full-back depth: "Right now we have three right-backs and one left-back. Adam [Smith] has experience at left-back and even Max Aarons has played there. I think we could make it work, but we'll see how the transfer market finishes."

• Iraola highlighted Morgan Gibbs-White, Anthony Elanga and Chris Wood as Nottingham Forest's biggest threats: "They've signed some players, but the core of their group has stayed the same, a little bit like us. They put a lot of pressure on and we have to be ready."

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Image source, Getty Images

Bournemouth midfielder Romain Faivre has joined French club Brest on a season-long loan deal.

He made six substitute appearances for the Cherries last term, having spent the first half of the campaign on loan at Lorient.

Brest finished third in the French top flight last season and will compete in this season's Champions League.

We asked for your views on Evanilson, who is set to join the Cherries for a club record £40.2m.

Here are some of your comments:

Keith: Spending so much money on one player with no Premier League experience sounds very scary but equally very exciting - if it works!

Mark: This is certainly the marquee signing we were looking for. Maybe a risk compared with Eddie Nketiah but to have a Brazil forward is a bold move in keeping with Bill Foley's ambition.

Noel: This is a great signing. I think he will fit Andoni Iraola's style. We just need a new song for him.

Mark: Good experience at Porto and has proved he can score at the top level. Puts himself about as well so should fit in pretty well and hopefully from the start. Time will tell, as it did with Dominic Solanke.

Simon: We are signing a Brazilian international striker. I'm still living the dream!

Chris Collinson
BBC Sport statistician

Bournemouth failed to win any of their first nine Premier League games following the appointment of Andoni Iraola at the start of last season.

Once they got that first league victory, they ranked highly in many statistical metrics for the remainder of the season.

The Cherries have sold leading scorer Dominic Solanke to Tottenham this summer. However, with Porto's Evanilson set to arrive as his big-money replacement, can Iraola's side continue their upward trajectory in 2024-25?

Bournemouth fans, with Brazilian striker Evanilson set to fly in for a medical today, how do you feel about the club agreeing a record £40.2m deal to sign the 24-year-old?

Here are his stats in comparison to Dominic Solanke, with Solanke scoring more in two of the last three seasons. Solanke's 29 goals in 2021-22 did come in the Championship to help Bournemouth to promotion.

Are you happy with Evanilson coming in? Or would you have liked the club to have gone for someone else?

Have your say here, external

It's that time of the year again - the annual act of foolishness in which I try to predict the outcome of the 2024-25 season for all 20 Premier League clubs.

Bournemouth - 14th

The loss of Dominic Solanke, who provided 19 Premier League goals last season, was a bitter blow to the Cherries but under the guidance of manager Andoni Iraola there will still be optimism on the south coast.

Iraola provided a measured, calm response to a dreadful start last season by sticking to his pressing principles and Bournemouth improved.

Solanke's departure will increase responsibility on Antoine Semenyo and more consistency will be expected from Luis Sinisterra now he has made a permanent £20m move from Leeds United after a loan spell.

Could be anxious times ahead but expect the Cherries, under Iraola, to survive.

Read all of Phil's predictions here

Image source, Getty Images

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

Here is the list of the ties - which are split into southern and northern sections - involving Premier League clubs:

South

• AFC Wimbledon v Ipswich Town

• Brighton & Hove Albion v Crawley Town

• Birmingham City v Fulham

• Cardiff City v Southampton

• Colchester United v Brentford

• Crystal Palace v Norwich City

• West Ham United v Bournemouth

North

• Everton v Doncaster Rovers

• Nottingham Forest v Newcastle United

• Leicester City v Tranmere Rovers

• Wolverhampton Wanderers v Burnley

See the full draw

The games will take place in w/c 26 August.

Mark Mitchener
BBC Sport Senior Journalist

Bournemouth go into the new season looking for a new centre-forward after a summer of speculation over Dominic Solanke's future concluded with his sale to Tottenham last week.

I wrote on this page in February that "an eye-watering summer bid for a player close to the peak of his resale value might be reluctantly accepted" and the Cherries held firm for a club record deal that could eventually be worth the full £65m specified in the release clause in Solanke's contract - although a sell-on percentage passes to Liverpool.

Owner Bill Foley told BBC Sport last month that "two or three candidates" were lined up if Solanke departed, and although a direct replacement has yet to arrive, Bournemouth have a fortnight before the transfer window closes.

While Daniel Jebbison, 21 this week, was signed from Sheffield United as one for the future with the expectation that he would probably be loaned out this season, Iraola has used pre-season as an audition to make his case for being part of the first-team squad.

And with Enes Unal missing the start of the season with the foot injury that ruled him out of Euro 2024, Jebbison may have to stick around for now.

After a slow start last season as the squad adjusted to new boss Andoni Iraola's style of play, Bournemouth will hope to hit the ground running this term.

Unbeaten in pre-season, they have continued to recruit exciting new players from Europe in defensive duo Dean Huijsen from Juventus and Julian Araujo from Barcelona.

They will dare to dream that the right signing up front could bring the top-half finish which Foley craves.

We asked for your views on Bournemouth's newest signing Julian Araujo, after the 23-year-old joined the Cherries on a five-year deal.

Here are some of your comments:

Charl: This is exactly the type of player Bournemouth should be signing. He has a wealth of experience at the highest level, yet he is relatively young and has his best years to come. He seems a great prospect. Now we need to offload Romain Faivre and Dango Ouattara, and sign the Brazilian from Porto. Job done!

Keith: At 23 years old, Julian needs a club to flourish at and AFC Bournemouth will provide him with that opportunity.

Tony: It is good to see that we are bringing in some young talent at a very cheap price, but I do worry that we have a lot of players in the same position. We already have a lot of depth, so we should be looking at the areas that we need to strengthen - such as strikers and goalkeepers.

Andrew: He seems like a fine addition. I'm looking forward to seeing him play. A warm welcome to Araujo!

Geoff: This is an exciting signing so clearly someone other than Chris Mepham must be on the move. Personally, I think a proven striker coming in should be the current priority.

Image source, Getty Images

New Bournemouth signing Julian Araujo says Cherries fans "will never see me back down" in his first interview at the club.

Right-back Araujo's move from Barcelona was confirmed on Tuesday and a chat with manager Andoni Iraola was key behind the 23-year-old deciding to make the move.

"That was one of the most important things for me," he told club media.

"When I had the conversation with him [Iraola] he explained his formation and how he could see me on his team.

"I was very excited - he likes the outside backs to attack and defend. I watched some games last year and I know you guys had a very successful one and want to build off that. I'm happy to be here and hopefully I can provide and add to that."

Araujo signed for Barcelona from LA Galaxy last summer but spent the season on loan at fellow La Liga side Las Palmas, where he made 25 league appearances.

"I played a lot of games and got a lot of minutes under a very good coach at Las Palmas. It was very exciting time there. It was a step needed in my career coming from MLS - it was the right step," he added.

"It was a lot of possession. I think I grew on and off the pitch. I'm a guy who likes to lead. I'm very confident so I want to bring happiness and enjoy every day as much as we can.

"You guys will get everything out of me. I will ride for this team. I will be myself. You will never see me back down and I will give my all for the team."

Chris Collinson
BBC Sport football statistician

Bournemouth were not amazing or awful in any particular stat last season, but that is due to the terrible start they had on their way to achieving their highest Premier League points tally.

If those winless first nine games were the runway for Andoni Iraola's ideas to take off, then once they did, the Cherries ranked in the top half for every stat in the graphic except possession.

Indeed, outside the top three, Bournemouth boasted the most shots and the lowest xG against figure.

Only five teams took more points than the Cherries in that time and they also had the best expected goal difference outside of the top three.

This means that, while the loss of top scorer Dominic Solanke is a big blow, it is reasonable for Bournemouth to be aiming for a top-half finish this time around.

Image source, Getty Images

The draw for the second round of the Carabao Cup will take place on Wednesday at the conclusion of the first-round tie between Leeds United and Middlesbrough.

Thirteen Premier League clubs will enter in the second round, as will Luton Town and Burnley, who were relegated from the top flight in 18th and 19th positions last season.

The draw for round two will be regionalised into northern and southern sections.

The seven Premier League clubs playing in European competitions in 2024-25, including Carabao Cup holders Liverpool, will come in at the third-round stage.

The key dates for the competition are as follows:

• Second round - w/c 26 August

• Third round - w/c 16 and w/c 23 September

• Fourth round - w/c 28 October

• Quarter-finals - w/c 16 December

• Semi-finals - w/c 6 January (first leg) and w/c 3 February

• Final - 16 March

Follow Wednesday's action and then the full draw here from 19:30 BST

Bournemouth are targeting 25-year-old Arsenal forward Eddie Nketiah to fill the void left by Dominic Solanke, who has completed a move to Tottenham. (Mail), external

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

Bournemouth have signed right-back Julian Araujo from Barcelona.

The 23-year-old has joined on a five-year deal for a fee reported to be about 10m euros (£8.5m).

Chief executive Neill Blake said Araujo is a "young player with high potential" and the Cherries were "pleased to have beaten lots of competition for his signature".

What do you think about the signing, Cherries fans? The type of player you were hoping for?

Let us know your thoughts, external

Tom Jordan
Fan writer

Where will you finish in the league and why?

Another season fuelled by optimism for Bournemouth fans and a top-half finish certainly does not feel too ambitious. 10th spot could well be a realistic aim having only lost one key player in Lloyd Kelly from the squad so far, and quickly replacing him with promising defender Dean Huijsen. Andoni Iraola came in last season and despite a period of adjustment, we comfortably managed to finish in a higher position and with more points than in our previous campaign under Gary O'Neil.

Who is the best signing or has he not signed yet and who should it be?

As mentioned, Huijsen is currently the main signing the club has made. Only 19 years of age and having impressed on loan at Roma from Juventus last season, Huijsen has all the attributes to be a fans' favourite for many years to come.

What do you want from your manager this season?

Progression both on and off the pitch is the aim for the club and in Iraola we all feel secure that progress can continue. His offensive and high-energy approach is a delight to watch and should stand us in good stead moving forward.

Who will be the breakout star in your squad?

This could be the season in which Alex Scott shows the league just how great he is. A signing with a lot of potential, he suffered with injuries last season, so if he can stay fit he is most definitely one to watch.

What is your one major concern?

Our main concern is the loss of Dominic Solanke, with Tottenham triggering his £65m release clause. Evidently Dom was enormous for us last season, scoring 19 league goals and linking our forward play exceptionally. Staying would have been a massive signal of intent from the club, alas, we need to be mindful of PSR. Now, the recruitment team have a big job in trying to replace our main man.

You can find more from Tom Jordan at Back of the Net, external

Bournemouth have had an offer for Brazil striker Evanilson, 24, rejected by Porto. (Fabrizio Romano), external

Bournemouth have switched their attention to Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah, 25. (Evening Standard), external

Wales defender Chris Mepham, 26, is expected to leave Bournemouth this summer on either a permanent or loan deal, with Ipswich, Torino and Anderlecht all interested. (Fabrizio Romano), external

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

After a long summer break, BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club is back in action this evening.

Tune in as the panel cover all the major talking points from the summer and look ahead to Premier League football returning at the weekend.

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Image source, Getty Images

The curtain opens on the 2024-25 Premier League season in just a matter of days, so why not take a look at how all 20 clubs performed in pre-season?

The games have been spread across the globe, from Tokyo and New York to Crawley and Preston.

See the results here