Bournemouth Strengthens Defense with Bafodé Diakité Signing
Bournemouth, England, Aug 13 (AP) — In a strategic move to enhance their defense, Bournemouth announced the acquisition of center back Bafodé Diakité from Lille on Wednesday.
The deal, reportedly valued up to 40 million euros ($55 million), comes after Bournemouth's significant reshuffling of their defense during the offseason.
The club has offloaded key players, including center backs Dean Huijsen and Illia Zabarnyi, left back Milos Kerkez, and goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, accumulating around $200 million in the process.
The 24-year-old Diakité, who has an impressive track record with 107 appearances for Lille and previous experience playing for Toulouse, is expected to bring much-needed stability to Bournemouth's backline.
Enthusiastic fans could see Diakité make his debut when Bournemouth faces Liverpool on Friday, marking the commencement of the Premier League season.
AP UNG
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