Andoni Iraola’s side opened their season with a 4-2 loss to the defending champions, Liverpool. The Cherries put up a good fight, coming back from 2-0 down thanks to two Antoine Semenyo goals, but failed to hold onto a result. Now, they look to strengthen after an outgoing; Bournemouth have agreed a fee for Amine Adli from Bayer Leverkusen.
Florian Plettenberg has revealed that “it’s all done” between Bournemouth and Leverkusen, regarding negotiations over Adli. A package deal has been agreed for just over £25 million, which the German side “demanded” for the Moroccan international star. This move comes after Dango Ouattara departed permanently for Brentford, for a healthy £42.5 million.
However, the green light for this deal will only be given by Leverkusen once they have secured a replacement for their wide option. The Cherries will have to have “patience” as they wait for Adli, though they have already agreed a deal for Ben Doak from Liverpool, who is undergoing his medical, as wide depth.
Some may question why Iraola wants to sign both Doak and Adli as replacements for Outtara. Bournemouth also have David Brooks, Marcus Tavernier, and potentially Romain Faivre as options too.
However, the Basque manager will often rotate his wide players. This may be part of the reason that Outtara left. He likes to experiment with his starters, to see which player fits his newest idea best. Furthermore, it is rare that a player survives the full 90 minutes without being substituted.
Both across the season and within games, Iraola likes to have lots of different options, and so Doak and Adli can both expect to have their chances to show what they can do.
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