Bournemouth

We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's pre-season friendly between Bournemouth and Girona.

Here are some of your comments:

Geoff: Life after Dominic Solanke started on the right foot with a good display and the score could easily have been greater for Bournemouth. I believe the display against Girona proves that we are not a one-trick pony.

Keith: Encouraging performance against a Champions League outfit with Christie excellent. Bring on Forest!

Clive: It was good to see the progress. Undoubtedly some players don't fit the system and style. More outs than ins to come.

Mark: Very good game, with great interplay in attack. One big mistake in defence for cthe Stuani goal. Left feeling that we could have a better season than last.

Bournemouth are keen on Roma's 26-year-old English striker Tammy Abraham but face competition from AC Milan, Everton and Leicester City. (Calciomercato - in Italian), external

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

Image source, Getty Images

BBC Radio Solent's Jordan Clark caught up with Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola after the pre-season victory over Girona.

He asked the Bournemouth boss for his reflections on the departed Dominic Solanke: "We know it’s a big loss - he was probably our best player. He was very impactful for us but also there is a personal part that is also very important. Everyone felt he has given us everything and behaved amazingly until the last minute. Now that he’s gone and is going to play in Europe this season, I hope he performs well and has a great season. We’ll be cheering for him definitely."

On the hopes of signing a replacement: "The club is working on it. It’s never easy to sign forwards, especially number nines. There are not a lot with a level close to the one we lost. But I’m sure the club will do their best and we will be fine. I don’t know about financial fair play or ask about the numbers. Everything is under control. The club knows very well what they are doing."

On if the Cherries will spend all the money they received on Solanke: "It is always difficult but sometimes it’s not only about the money - it’s about finding the right profile with the aim and hunger to play for us and to be important for Bournemouth. It will be difficult but this kind of circumstances happen and now obviously it’s very important because it’s the most expensive sale of the club and it will not be easy to replace him."

Image source, Getty Images

Summer signing Daniel Jebbison scored the winner off the bench as Bournemouth rounded off their pre-season campaign with victory over La Liga side Girona.

Justin Kluivert scored an early penalty for the Cherries before Cristhian Stuani equalised. Teenage winger Joel Roca put Girona in front but Luis Sinisterra cancelled out his strike.

And, just two minutes after coming on, Jebbison hinted there was life after Dominic Solanke when he tapped home Bournemouth's third at the back post.

Were you at the game, Cherries supporters?

How is Andoni Iraola's side shaping up for the new season?

Let us know your thoughts here, external - and come back on Monday to read the submissions

The Premier League season is fast approaching and clubs are continuing their pre-season preparations.

Here's a look at some of the teams in action on a busy Saturday.

All times BST

We asked for your thoughts on Dominic Solanke potentially leaving Bournemouth to join Tottenham Hotspur.

Here are some of your comments:

Jack: Solanke is almost definitely leaving, we need to go all out to sign an exciting replacement. Jhon Duran from Villa fits the bill and won't come cheap but, unlike Chelsea and West Ham who he's been linked with, we can offer him a lot of minutes and build our already dynamic attack around him.

James: If he goes for £60m+ it's a good deal. I think Tammy Abraham would be the best replacement we can get this transfer window. Even without a replacement, Semenyo can play up top if required.

Dennis: A deserved move and wished well for his future. Has served Bournemouth well although I would have liked one more season with him. Leaves with love and best wishes.

Lee: Such a shame to be losing Dominic, he's been a brilliant player for us. Hopefully we'll bring in a striker with the same commitment whose ego isn't bigger than the team. Fantastic player, at least now he might get a call-up for the national team. Dominic will be a huge loss to the team.

Ben: I'd have liked to have seen us put up a bit more of a fight to keep him as there's no immediate need to sell him. He's got a few years left on his contract, but you can argue his stock is high and he's earned it. Will be such a shame to see him go and I hope we're not leaving it late to bring in a quality replacement.

Sources say the deal to take Dominic Solanke from Bournemouth to Tottenham is now done. It is a total package of £65m.

Image source, Getty Images

Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola believes he already has players in his squad who will be ready to step into the centre-forward role if Dominic Solanke leaves the club to join Tottenham Hotspur.

Speaking to BBC Radio Solent before the Cherries' pre-season friendly against Girona, Iraola outlined his "options" in the number nine position: "It is a shame because it was a very good chance to do a full pre-season with Enes [Unal], but you cannot control these things. He broke his toe with Turkey and he isn't available right now.

"[Daniel] Jebbison is our specific number nine right now. He has been in all of the pre-season games, but we do have other players and we will try others in training.

"We have Justin [Kluivert], [Luis] Sinisterra and we played some minutes with Dango [Ouattara] the other day up front. I think Antoine [Semenyo] is used to playing as a number nine with his national team.

"So we will be analysing everything, but the easiest thing would be to still have Dom up front tomorrow and next week."

Iraola added: "I think we have options in our head of the players who could be good number nines. I think Justin, Antoine and Dango have the experience.

"I think we have the provision of quite dynamic players, who can even interchange positions when we are playing, so if that's the case then we will find solutions."

Image source, Getty Images

Dominic Solanke, Bournemouth's top scorer from last season, has been heavily linked with a move to Tottenham Hotspur.

Cherries boss Andoni Iraola has been speaking about the potential move and says: “I know talks are ongoing.

“But right now he is our player. That is what I know. I cannot tell you much more.

“Obviously for us, Dom is a very, very important player. But I cannot tell you how this is going to finish.

“Everyone focuses on the goals he scores. He scores a big percentage of our goals."

Solanke scored 19 Premier League goals last season, 13 more than the previous term as his increased output helped Bournemouth finish 12th in Iraola's first season in charge.

“But he gives us much more than goals. He is very complete. He helps us in all the phases of the game. He would be a big miss, obviously," Iraola continued.

“He is someone who has been very involved. He played all the games in the past season. He scored a lot of goals. But if this happens, it has happened in other positions. We have to trust the people inside the club. I am sure they will be ready.

“But I repeat, right now, today, in this moment, Dom continues with us.”

Millie Sian
BBC Sport journalist

Dominic Solanke has been widely touted as one of the most improved players in the Premier League last season - an accolade which has resulted in plenty of transfer interest for the striker.

Tottenham are in pole position to sign the centre-forward, after the club failed to replace Harry Kane - their all-time record goal-scorer - in the transfer market last summer.

Finding a player to fill the boots of Spurs' former captain is much easier said than done though, with boss Ange Postecoglou stating: "Another Harry Kane does not exist" after his eighth Premier League game in charge of the club.

Interestingly, Tottenham scored more Premier League goals without Kane last season than with Kane the season before - scoring 70 goals in 2022-23 compared to 74 goals in 2023-24.

Their top Premier League scorer in 2023-24 was Son Heung-min with 17 goals, compared to Kane with 30 goals in 2022-23, so it is clear the North London club are still missing their talisman.

Postecoglou also seems to have changed his mind on bringing in a new centre-forward to provide a bit more firepower in his attack, and he will be hoping that Bournemouth's Players' Player of the Season Solanke will be able to deliver.

Having set the Championship alight in 2021-22, scoring 29 goals and registering seven assists in 46 appearances, the Englishman then had a slower start to life in the top-flight, scoring just six goals and registering seven assists in 33 appearances in 2022-23.

But the 26-year-old found new levels in the Premier League last season - scoring 19 goals and registering three assists in 38 appearances - helping Bournemouth to their best top-flight finish since 2016-17.

Iraola was asked about Solanke's rapid turnaround in form in February but the Basque boss did not want to take any credit for his improvement, replying: "I don't think we have improved him. He is the same player."

Understandably, Solanke has caught the eye of Postecoglou but Bournemouth's £65m release clause on their star-man means he will be a costly purchase for any club.

His numbers point to an upward trajectory however, so might the money offer value for a player who seems to be rapidly improving?

After joining the club in January 2019, it seems Dominic Solanke's time at Bournemouth could be nearing an end, with a move to Tottenham Hotspur on the horizon.

How do you feel about the possibility of his exit? And if he leaves, who could be a realistic replacement?

Let us know your thoughts here, external

Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport Football News Reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Dominic Solanke's impending transfer to Tottenham from Bournemouth could set the dominoes falling for other moves.

The Cherries hold an interest in Aston Villa's Cameron Archer, who returned to Villa Park this summer after a season at Sheffield United.

They had no plans to add to their forward line while Solanke was at the club but his expected departure drastically changes the landscape at the Vitality Stadium.

Archer re-joined Villa in June after Sheffield United were relegated, which triggered the clause for his return after he joined the Blades for £18m last summer. The striker scored four goals in 21 Premier League starts for United.

Villa's forward line remains thin, though, with little central back up for Ollie Watkins.

Jhon Duran remains at the club - despite summer interest from West Ham, who signed Niclas Fullkrug from Borussia Dortmund this week.

Archer's immediate future is likely to be tied to whether Duran remains in Birmingham as the club will not leave themselves short up front so close to the start of the season.

Simon Stone
Chief football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Tottenham are in advanced talks with Bournemouth over a £60m deal for striker Dominic Solanke.

Solanke has a release clause in his contract, as confirmed by Bournemouth owner Bill Foley in his interview with BBC Sport in Santa Barbara last month.

It is understood he is attracted by the prospect of playing European football.

If the deal goes through it would represent a club record sale for Bournemouth, exceeding the £40m they received from Manchester City for defender Nathan Ake in 2020.

Solanke joined Bournemouth from Liverpool for £19m in 2019.

It is understood Liverpool have a substantial sell-on clause.

Foley said last month he hoped the 26-year-old would stay but Bournemouth had "two or three candidates lined up" as potential alternatives.

Simon Stone
Chief football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

When I spoke to Bournemouth owner Bill Foley in Santa Barbara last month about striker Dominic Solanke, he confirmed the striker had a release clause - and it was "roughly" £65m.

He also said that while he did not think Solanke would leave, Bournemouth had "two or three candidates lined up" if the worst happened.

I wonder if Ivan Toney or Dominic Calvert-Lewin are on the list?

Number nines are in vogue at the moment. Toney and Calvert-Lewin are in that category. The same is true of Chelsea's Armando Broja, Tottenham's Richarlison and Romelu Lukaku of Chelsea.

The problem is all of them are expensive - and not all of them score that many goals.

Bournemouth are in advanced talks with Barcelona to sign 22-year-old Mexico defender Julian Araujo in a 10m euro (£8.56m) deal. (Fabrizio Romano), external

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

Pat Nevin
Former footballer and presenter

Right now, brinkmanship is the name of the game. There have been times when some clubs sorted their transfer business early in the window and everyone wondered why so few others followed their lead. Put simply, it isn't in the selling clubs' financial interest, and it usually isn't in the moving player's financial interest either, to go early.

A selling club wants a bidding war to up the price and they don't mind a bit of panic buying when the window is creaking ever nearer the sill. If you still haven't signed that star player who you think, hope or maybe even actually believe, will make all the difference, clubs can get twitchy and make rash costly decisions.

I have watched it happen from within. Good intentions and a willingness to stick to a pre-arranged budget, suddenly evaporates when clubs are bounced into making these calls. There is also a bit of pride in there too. "We aren't losing out on our first choice to that lot!" is a common refrain, especially when it's to one of your close rivals.

As for the moving player, or more specifically his agent, last-minute brinkmanship is the dream scenario. Playing two or three suitors off against each other (and you don't even have to tell the truth of what you are being offered elsewhere) means you can exaggerate as much as you like to up the ante.

So that is why the deals go to the wire, and why they are so lucrative. It is also why I never have too much sympathy for a player, when a huge deal falls through at the last moment. Greed can push it too far in the end and it can all come crashing down, which is why they call it brinkmanship! If you dance on the edge of a volcano you might just fall in.

Image source, AFC Bournemouth

Bournemouth have launched their third kit for the 2024-25 season, which they say features a design unique to the coastal town and surrounding areas.

The third strip comes in a bold "deep lagoon and scuba blue" colour inspired by Bournemouth's "iconic coastline", with kit supplier Umbro using recycled materials for the first time in their partnership with the club.

It will be worn with matching shorts and socks.

We asked for your thoughts after Sunday's friendly game between Bournemouth and Rayo Vallecano.

Here are some of your comments:

Drew: Dean Huijsen looks world class. We seem potent without Solanke and our squad depth is good.

Steve: The team played very well and new boy Huijsen was excellent. The team look on it and I can’t wait for the season to start. If we can hold on to Solanke we are going to cause a bit of a stir.

Geoff: A win is win but Bournemouth's movement was good at times, with little reward. A well-taken goal was the only difference between the two teams. Disappointing that the Cherries crowd didn't get behind the team, which may have made a difference. Seems we have a huge squad, unless some are moving on.

David: It was just a pre-season game so I doubt you can take much from these. However, in my opinion Luis Sinisterra, Alex Scott, Semenyo, Dean Hugsen and Daniel Jebbison stood out and are ones to look out for in the season ahead.

Image source, Getty Images

Bournemouth head coach Andoni Iraola speaking to BBC Radio Solent after the pre-season win against Rayo Vallecano: "It was a good workout and very competitive game. Rayo are a very good team and it is not easy to press them, but we had the best chances. I am happy.

"The tougher it is in pre-season, the better it is for us because we have to find the best form individually and collectively for the first game."

On Dominic Solanke's absence: "It is not a big injury, but someone stamped on his foot yesterday [Saturday] and it made no sense to risk him. Hopefully he will be fine and ready for Girona.

"I don't have any other news [about transfer speculation]. I hate it when the market is open and I feel this month with speculation will be difficult. But we just have to focus on our games and worry about the opening games before the market closes."