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On Wednesday, August 13, Bournemouth confirmed that they completed the signing of French defender Bafode Diakite from Lille, to add depth to their defense after a splendid ;last season. The deal between Bournemouth and Lille for the Frenchman reportedly worth £34.6 million, including an initial fee of £30.3 million plus add-ons worth £4.3 million, which makes him the second most expensive signing in the history of the club.
Notably, Bafode Diakite is one of the top performers in the Ligue 1 in defence in the 2024-25 campaign after playing 31 times for Lille in the competition, helping them finish in fifth place, to qualify for the UEFA Europa League. At the same time, he made 10 appearances for the club in the UEFA Champions League, proving his mettle in one of the best club football leagues in the world despite being on the losing side against Borussia Dortmund in the round of 16.
Bafode Diakite signed for Bournemouth just after Illia Zabarnyi's departure
The arrival of Bafode Diakite to Bournemouth happened just after defender Illia Zabarnyi left the club to join Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in the Ligue 1 in a deal worth £57 million during the ongoing transfer window. Earlier, the Cherries have also sold their other two major defenders in Dean Huijsen to Real Madrid for £50 million and Milos Kerkez to Liverpool for £40 million.
As per the report from BBC Sport, it is understood that Bafode Diakite will be playing in the opening match of the Premier League 2025-26 campaign against Liverpool at Anfield on Friday, August 15. The man, who made 112 appearances for Lille across all competitions, is set to slot straight into the defence of Andoni Irola’s lineup, to ensure that they start the season on a bright note against the defending Premier League champions.
The fans should remember that during his three-year tenure at Lille, Bafode Diakite scored 13 goals, to become the highest-scoring defender in the French top-flight.
