Bournemouth

It is common practice these days for transfer fees to have performance-based add-ons. The theory is the selling club gains more if the player goes on to be extremely successful, while the buying club is to some extent protected financially if the transfer doesn't work out.

In some cases, the total value of add-ons is significant - Real Madrid could end up paying an extra £30m to Borussia Dortmund for Jude Bellingham depending on how successful he is over the course of his career in the Spanish capital, for example.

In others, like the potential £1.7m worth of add-ons Brighton's £29.78m signing of Greece Under-21 forward Charalampos Kostoulas, are less significant.

Clubs sometimes say add-ons are 'easily achievable' or 'difficult'.

Easier-to-achieve add-ons can include things like making a basic number of appearances, or scoring a certain amount of goals. Add-ons can also be attached to a team's success rather than the individual player's - a club may agree to an add-on requiring an extra payment if they qualify for Europe, for example.

Others can be more ambitious - tied to extreme levels of individual or collective success, like winning the Champions League or the Ballon d'Or.

An example of the difficulty add-ons can present when discussing valuations would be the claims made in the Portuguese media in 2022 that the first additional payment in Darwin Nunez's £64m-plus-add-ons move from Benfica to Liverpool was triggered by the Uruguayan making just 10 appearances.

Then Liverpool boss Arne Slot rejected speculation he had not started Nunez in some games because it would trigger an additional payment.

Whether Liverpool paid more for Nunez, or club captain Virgil van Dijk - for whom they paid a flat fee of £75m to Southampton in 2017 - cannot be determined without knowing exactly what add-ons were included in the Nunez deal, then figuring out which conditions he has and has not met.

Send our reporters a questions via Ask Me Anything

Bournemouth are celebrating the launch of their 2026-27 third kit with a unique art exhibition, external across 12 and 13 August, at which former Cherries goalkeeper David James will have his own painting on show.

Some 17 years ago Steve Fletcher scored the winning goal against Grimsby Town to secure Bournemouth's survival in the Football League, and James decided that was the big moment he wanted to capture for the showcase.

"I was asked if I would like to take part and I said if I can, then I have to paint Fletch," James told BBC Radio Solent before the exhibition.

"It's that goal against Grimsby basically. I just felt that needed to be represented because if that hadn't been scored then we would not be sitting here having this conversation I believe. Thanks to Fletch, and that memorable moment, I've been able to encapsulate it."

James also looked ahead to the new season and shared what he is expecting from new manager Marco Rose.

"I've seen the highlights from the Real Betis game and I think there's a lot to be excited for," James said. "I think there were some footballing styles there that I think Rose is going to put his own stamp on which I think everyone will expect.

"The players look more than capable of putting that style on for the supporters and given I'll be going to two of the first few games for Bournemouth this season, I'll be an expert before the international break. I expect a lot of good things this year."

Listen to the full chat above or on BBC Sounds here

Nizaar Kinsella
Chelsea reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Bournemouth have agreed the sale of striker Enes Unal to Spanish club Getafe on a permanent deal.

The 29-year-old leaves on a free transfer, although Bournemouth could receive up to £1.3m in bonuses as well as 20% of any future sale.

The low fee reflects an injury-hit spell in which he played around 900 minutes over the past three seasons, but the Cherries were also keen to reduce their wage bill.

His exit will create an opportunity for Canada international Daniel Jebbison, 22, to establish himself in the first team.

Jebbison played and scored in the Premier League for Sheffield United in 2021, but has since embarked on several loan spells, including at Burton Albion. He joined Bournemouth on a free transfer in 2024 before spending time on loan at Watford and Preston North End in the Championship.

The south coast club rejected permanent offers from several Championship sides this summer, as well as interest from a couple of clubs in Europe.

That's because new manager Marco Rose has been impressed by his performances in pre-season and due to the club's desire to carry a third striker as they embark on a historic campaign in the Europa League.

In terms of transfers, Bournemouth are close to completing their summer business and are now working on a move that would see full-back Max Aarons leave the club.

Some of you have been asking via our Bournemouth Ask Me Anything form whether Alex Scott will be available for the Cherries' final pre-season fixture after picking up a red card in an eventful 2-2 draw with Real Betis.

The 22-year-old was sent off just before half-time due to an on-field argument and scuffle with former Manchester United winger Antony, who was also dismissed.

Bournemouth head coach Marco Rose was also shown a red card during the half-time break and was forced to watch the second-half action from the stands.

It is understood that Scott will serve a one-match ban, which will see him out of contention for their final pre-season game against Mainz but back in the fold for their Premier League opener against Manchester City.

Ask Me Anything is a service dedicated to answering your questions.

We want to reward your time by telling you things you do not know and reminding you of things you do.

Find out more here

Image source, Getty Images

Bournemouth earned a 2-2 friendly draw with Real Betis over the weekend and there were some key takeaways.

• A quick trip to Spain for a physical game against Champions League opposition was just what the Cherries needed. Real Betis provided a great test for Marco Rose's side in pretty intense heat. This felt like important preparation for what is to come for the Cherries in the Europa League this season.

• It wasn't much of friendly. Both teams had a man sent-off when Alex Scott and Anthony clashed just before half-time. New Cherries boss Marco Rose, who had already warned us about his poor discipline record in Germany, was then sent to the stands too having let the referee know exactly how he felt about Scott's red card. I'm not buying the 'Scott's frustrated at not getting his move' narrative I'm reading on social media. He was targeted by St Pauli players earlier in pre-season and, other than being shoved in the face by Anthony, I'm still not sure exactly what he did to warrant a red card against Real Betis.

Listen to Marco Rose discuss his outburst

• It might not happen this summer but it feels inevitable that Alex Scott will get his big move at some point in the not too distant future. The good news for the Cherries is that Alex Toth is starting to show exactly why Bournemouth signed him. If pre-season is anything to go by then he'll provide some serious competition for Scott in that box-to-box role in the heart of the Cherries' midfield. He was instrumental in winning the ball back high for the Cherries' second goal in the Eastadio La Cartuja. This could be a big season for the young Hungarian.

• The first glimpses of Antonio Silva were promising, particularly the Senesi-esque long balls into the opposition's half. It's very early days but the Silva signing looks like it could be a really good bit of business by the Cherries. It was a signing driven by Tiago Pinto and the one thing that history tells us is that Pinto knows a good defender when he sees one.

• The Pre-season injuries are starting to mount up. Junior Kroupi, David Brooks, Ryan Christie, Tyler Adams, Alvaro Rodriguez, Julian Araujo, Veljko Milosavljevic and Julio Soler all missed the trip to Spain due to injury. You can add Amine Adli to that list now too after he suffered a calf injury during the second-half. Bournemouth feel their incoming transfer activity is 95% complete but Marco Rose told us after the game they are continuing to watch the market closely as they assess their injury situation.

Explore Bournemouth content on BBC Sounds

Image source, Getty Images

Summer signing Antonio Silva says he is a "modern centre-back" who will suit Bournemouth's football after he made his second pre-season appearance for the club against Real Betis on Saturday.

The 22-year-old joined the Cherries at the start of August from his boyhood club Benfica in Portugal, and believes he is adjusting well to the change of scenery.

"My adaptation has been very good and I'm very happy to be here," Silva told BBC Radio Solent.

"I have players like Rayan who speak the same language as me so it's been quite easy for me to adapt to the club. Also the other guys are being very good [to me] and for me, they are very close friends.

"Now I have one more week and then the Premier League starts and we will be ready for that."

Despite Saturday's friendly game ending in an eventful 2-2 draw, Silva believes his style of play and winning mentality make him a good match for Bournemouth.

"I think I'm a modern centre-back - I like to play with the ball, I like to defend as high as possible and I think I fit very well into this club. We want to play every game to win and that's my mentality," Silva said.

"It was always difficult to leave Portugal and Benfica but it's a part of life and now I'm in a new chapter of my life, and I'm ready to give everything for Bournemouth."

Click play below for the full chat or listen on BBC Sounds here

Bournemouth centre-back Matai Akinmboni, 19, is training with Dundee with a view to a season-long loan deal for the USA Under-20 international. (Courier), external

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

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Image source, Getty Images

Marcus Tavernier and Evanilson were on target as Bournemouth continued their unbeaten pre-season with an eventful 2-2 draw against Real Betis on Saturday.

Tavernier opened the scoring four minutes before half-time before the Cherries' Alex Scott and Betis's Antony were sent off for their part in a confrontation at the end of the first period.

Cucho Hernandez then equalised for Betis before Evanilson put Bournemouth back in front on the hour mark.

Pablo Fornals leveled again for the La Liga side late on.

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Newport County have signed left-back Alfie Merritt on a season-long loan from Bournemouth.

The 18-year-old featured on trial for the Exiles in pre-season and started in Tuesday's 4-1 friendly defeat by Italian giants Roma at Rodney Parade.

Merritt signed his first professional contract with the Cherries last summer and got a taste of senior football when making 13 appearances for Totton in Southern League Premier South last season.

The teenager will now spend the 2026-27 campaign with County in League Two, competing with Tom Davies for the start at left-back.

Merritt could make his debut against AFC Wimbledon in the Carabao Cup on Saturday, 8 August (15:00 BST).

Merritt is the first signing made since the appointment of Hayden Mullins as manager and the ninth in total.

Six players were signed while Christian Fuchs was in the hotseat - Harrison Biggins, Christian Doidge, Cameron Norman, Dan Sassi, Shaquille Gwengwe and Yahya Bamba - and Kyle Cameron and Kieron Evans joined after the Austrian's shock departure.

As Bournemouth continue their camp in Austria, BBC Radio Solent has taken the time to speak to club staff who perhaps don't get the plaudits but play a key role.

Further down this page you'll hear from a club chef and a groundsman but on Friday, it's the turn of Bournemouth player liaison officer Aysia Smith, who is supporting Marco Rose's side during their pre-season tour.

She told BBC Radio Solent: "I don't think you can pinpoint my job to certain things because it is very broad. It is a very reactive role, so it almost depends on what is happening from matchday duties to onboarding players.

"It can range from finding houses to sorting out visa applications, cars and schools. I also help to pay bills, book holidays and work out the logistics of things.

"The best way to describe it would be everything we do in every day life, I assist our 30 players with."

Listen to the full interview by pressing play above or listen on BBC Sounds

Find more Bournemouth content here

Image source, Getty Images

Bournemouth have completed the signing of right-back Juanlu Sanchez from Sevilla.

The 22-year-old joins after making more than 100 senior appearances for the La Liga side, including six in the Champions League.

Juanlu was also part of the Sevilla team that faced Manchester City in the 2023 Uefa Super Cup following the club's Europa League triumph.

At international level, he helped Spain win the men's football tournament at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. The defender scored the winning goal in Spain's 2-1 semi-final victory over Morocco before they beat hosts France in the final at the Parc des Princes.

Juanlu becomes Bournemouth's latest signing of the summer transfer window and follows the arrival of Antonio Silva as the club continues to strengthen its defence ahead of the 2026-27 season.

Speaking on Juanlu's arrival, the Cherries' president of football operations, Tiago Pinto, said: "Juanlu has an excellent level of experience at just 22, and we're really pleased to add him to Marco's squad.

"With Sevilla, he has shown his qualities domestically and in European competitions, so we know of his ability to compete at the top level consistently.

"He is young and still and hungry for more, so adds further invaluable characteristics to the squad ahead of the upcoming season.

"We're really looking forward to seeing how he continues to progress here with us and for how he will develop with Marcos and the team."

Juanlu added: "I am very happy, both for me and for my family. We had a lot of desire to come here and finally I can say that I am a player of Bournemouth."

Image source, Getty Images

Wigan Athletic have signed Bournemouth defender Archie Harris for an undisclosed fee on a two-year deal.

The 21-year-old made 41 league appearances for National League Eastleigh while on loan there last season.

The Wales Under-21 international featured in a pre-season game for the Latics as a trialist.

He could now make his competitive debut for Gary Caldwell's side against Barnsley in the Carabao Cup first round on Saturday.

Image source, Getty Images

Bournemouth right-back Julian Araujo has undergone surgery on his left thigh after sustaining a muscle injury on the club's pre-season tour in Austria.

The Mexico international, who was forced off during the Cherries opening friendly against St. Pauli, is expected to be sidelined for several months.

Araujo signed from Barcelona in 2024 and has made 14 appearances in all competitions.

In a statement, Bournemouth said: "All at the club extend their best wishes to Julian and look forward to him making a full recovery."

The 2026-27 Premier League season has not yet kicked off, but it has already made history.

Nine clubs are set to begin the campaign with a new permanent manager - the highest number ever for the top flight's opening weekend.

The scale of turnover has dramatically reshaped the Premier League's managerial landscape.

The upheaval did not begin this summer. The 2025-26 Premier League season featured 11 managerial changes, with Forest among the clubs to make multiple appointments during the campaign.

The average tenure of a top-flight boss now stands at about 20 months, illustrating just how fleeting life in one of football's most demanding jobs can now be.

Recent history also suggests changing manager offers no guarantees. During the 2025-26 season, several clubs that switched coaches continued to struggle. Forest employed three managers during the campaign, Tottenham changed head coach twice, while Chelsea also altered direction before the season ended.

Others, however, did enjoy an immediate uplift. Michael Carrick averaged 2.6 points per game across his first five matches as Manchester United boss, while Liam Rosenior collected the same return after taking charge of Chelsea. Rosenior's tenure ultimately proved short-lived, though, with the Blues winning just one of his final eight Premier League matches before he was dismissed.

• Read more on a summer of change

Research discussed in the Financial Times,, external external, drawing on findings from Soccernomics by Simon Kuper and Stefan Szymanski, argues that player quality and spending remain stronger predictors of results than managerial changes alone.

Sports consultancy Twenty First Group says coaches often succeed or fail according to the environment they inherit as much as their own abilities.

Since the Premier League began in 1992, only six managers have won the title in their first season in charge of their club.

Mourinho became the first to achieve the feat with Chelsea in 2004-05, before Carlo Ancelotti repeated it with the same club in 2009-10.

Manuel Pellegrini guided Manchester City to the title in his debut campaign in 2013-14, Claudio Ranieri masterminded Leicester City's remarkable triumph in 2015-16, Conte won the league in his first season at Chelsea in 2016-17, and most recently Slot led Liverpool to the championship in his maiden campaign in 2025-26.

With almost half the division beginning the campaign under new leadership, the Premier League enters one of its most unpredictable seasons in recent memory.

Katharine Sharpe and Simon Casson
BBC Sport senior journalists

The 2025-26 Premier League and Championship seasons included the introduction of squad-cost ratio rules on a shadow basis, testing to see how a spending cap for squad costs set at a percentage of a club's total revenues might work.

These SCR regulations have now been permanently implemented for the 2026-27 season, replacing previous profit and sustainability rules (PSR).

Uefa has a 70% SCR cap for European competitions, so Premier League clubs who qualified for Europe fall in line with this limit.

Clubs who did not qualify for Europe, and so are only taking part in domestic competitions, are capped at 85% of their total revenue.

However, clubs can spend above the 85% limit by using a multi-year rolling allowance of 30%. This allows them to invest ahead of revenue and variance or sporting underperformance.

Every club will start this coming season on 85% + 30% allowance, so effectively 115%.

If a club spends 105% on their squad in 2026-27, it means they have used 20% of their allowance, and for 2027-28 their maximum spend before potential sporting sanction is 95%.

If a club spend less than 85%, they can increase the allowance again to the maximum of 30%.

Spending above 85% but under the allowance results in a financial penalty, whereas going over both the 85% and the allowance will land the club a fixed six-point deduction which increases by one point for every £6.5m spent over the 115%.

'Anchoring' was also trialled in 2025-26, which meant any club's spending could not exceed a multiple of income earned by the bottom-placed club - however this was rejected at a vote of Premier League clubs.

SCR was approved by a vote of 14 clubs to six, and was introduced alongside sustainability and systemic resilience (SSR) regulations.

SSR involves three tests that are applied throughout the season:

Working capital test - assesses short-term cash resources

Liquidity test - assesses medium-term liquidity and resilience

Positive equity test -assesses long-term financial health

The aim of the SCR and SSR regulations is to stop the richest owners providing endless funds to their clubs to sign new players, as any money injected this way does not count as seasonal revenue.

They will also aim to prevent clubs from overspending and accruing unmanageable losses.

Read more about the rules here

Ask Me Anything is a service dedicated to answering your questions.

We want to reward your time by telling you things you do not know and reminding you of things you do.

Find out more here

Bournemouth groundsman Dan Sutherland explains why the club have brought him along to look after the pitches during the Cherries' pre-season camp in Austria.

Speaking to BBC Radio Solent, Sutherland said: "Just to make sure the pitches at the training facility are up to standard for the pre-season because they bring a team out and it's got to be as good as the pitches at the performance centre.

"We're trying to do our bit to make them good."

Listen to the full interview by pressing play above or on BBC Sounds here

Find more Bournemouth content here

Spanish football journalist Mario Garcia says potential Bournemouth summer signing Juanlu is a "very good player" and believes the move is an "interesting" one for the Cherries.

The Spanish youth international is closing in on a £11.1m move from Sevilla as boss Marco Rose looks to finalise his squad for the new season.

Speaking to BBC Radio Solent, Garcia said: "Juanlu is a very good player. He had a tough last season because Sevilla had tough moments because of the financial situation.

"He is a very good player and has come up with the national team with the under-19s and under-21s. He has played in the European Championship for Spain under-21s and won the gold medal in Paris 2024, scoring in the semi-final against Morocco. It is an interesting move for Bournemouth.

"He plays in a lot of positions and I think it's very nice for Marco Rose. He plays normally right-back. He can play in midfield or also as a right-winger. When he was in the youth teams in Sevilla he played in midfield. He was also put in midfield two seasons ago, so he can play in a lot of positions.

"Next season with Bournemouth will be tough because it will be the first time he has played in four competitions with the Europa League. It is interesting because one day he could play right back and then in Europe he could play midfield. He doesn't have any problems."

Listen to the full interview above by pressing play above or on BBC Sounds here

Find more Bournemouth content here

Football, bibs, boots, and a frying pan.

Yes, you read that right - a frying pan.

Bournemouth's first-team chef Scott Foy has been speaking to BBC Radio Solent about his trustworthy non-stick frying pan, which made the 700-mile journey to Austria for the Cherries' pre-season tour.

He explained: "We have our own non-stick frying pan, as omelettes are a staple for breakfast. There is nothing worse than getting to a hotel, and they don't have non-stick pans.

"Trying to make omelettes in pans that are sticking - you end up with a right mess, and the players don't eat it."

Foy, like the Cherries players, will also be involved in European football this season as part of his role will be to travel with the players on all away trips.

A lifelong Bournemouth fan, he initially started his career at the club working in the hospitality suite before being offered the role as the first team's head chef.

"Born and bred in Bournemouth - I have been supporting Bournemouth since I was about six," he said.

"It wasn't a dream, but it kind of was when I got the job. I never thought I would be given that opportunity before, but here I am."

The power of nutrition is working in Bournemouth's favour, as they have won all three of their pre-season games so far.

Listen to more below or find more on Bournemouth on BBC Sounds

Bournemouth continued their preparation for the new Premier League season by beating Italian side Genoa in devastating fashion.

The scorers of the 10 goals for the Cherries were Alex Scott with two, Justin Kluivert (two penalties), Adrien Truffert, David Brooks (penalty), Daniel Jebbison, Malcom Dacosta Gonzalez and Enes Unal with two.

The Genoa goalscorer was Mikael Egill Ellertsson in a fixture that was placed across four 30-minute quarters.

Michael Emons
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Centre-half Veljko Milosavljevic is already a Serbia international and became the youngest Bournemouth player to start a Premier League match when he played against Brighton in September.

Milosavljevic, who turned 19 on 28 June, featured in seven Premier League games in 2025-26, with the Cherries winning four and drawing one.

However, the 6ft 4in defender has not featured since January because of a knee injury, but will be hoping to get back to his best and continue his impressive start at Vitality Stadium.

He joined the Cherries from Red Star Belgrade on deadline day at the start of September in 2025, for an initial fee of £13m.

Read more on youngsters to watch at each Premier League club this season