Guardian writers' predicted place: tenth (NB: this isn't essentially Ben Fisher's prediction however the common of our writers' ideas)
Final season's place: ninth
Prospects
Three months in the past, Bournemouth received at Arsenal for the primary time to take care of their hopes of qualifying for Europe with three video games to go. It was a formidable comeback victory constructed on set items, Dean Huijsen heading the equaliser from Antoine Semenyo's lengthy throw – cue the Chill Man meme celebration – earlier than Evanilson poked in a scruffy however well-worked winner from a nook.
Bournemouth got here up quick of their quest to play in Europe as a optimistic season fizzled out after three wins from their last 15 matches. And now three of their again 5 from that day have departed – Huijsen for Actual Madrid, Milos Kerkez for Liverpool and Kepa Arrizabalaga, who was on mortgage from Chelsea, for Arsenal. The expectation is that Illia Zabarnyi will grow to be the subsequent high-profile exit, with Paris Saint-Germain pushing to signal the 22-year-old.
The very fact Bournemouth bought Huijsen to Actual in a £50m deal after a single season and 36 appearances serves as a reminder of the membership's journey throughout the final decade, and their continued eye for good enterprise. The factor value remembering is that whereas it seems Bournemouth have been decimated, these on the within recognise that is how their buy-low, sell-high mannequin works. The draw back is the breakup of a superb, buccaneering defence.
Whether or not Bournemouth can deal with a flurry of key departures stays to be seen however this summer season they moved to discover a everlasting goalkeeping resolution in Djordje Petrovic, a £25m signing from Chelsea. Discovering a commanding No 1 able to holding down the place had been a precedence after acknowledging the steadiness rival golf equipment had gained from making related strikes. Petrovic, who shone on mortgage at Strasbourg final season, would seem a strong platform on which to construct. However for a staff that operated with a skinny squad final season, it's not possible to shake the sense that beginning over represents a frightening process.
The supervisor
Andoni Iraola led Bournemouth to 56 factors final season, their document tally within the high flight, as they completed ninth, equalling their greatest end. His appointment two years in the past, pushed by the now Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes, has proved a masterstroke and final time period enhanced the repute of Iraola, the definition of a hands-on coach, amongst rivals. The 43-year-old is into the ultimate 12 months of his contract and whereas he prefers engaged on rolling contracts, one other extension is up within the air. Iraola, who does a very good line in self-deprecation, is a self-confessed fidget: he clicks a multi-colour pen all through interviews and tapes over a few of his fingers for superstitious causes. “It's silly,” he mentioned. “However I've performed it for thus a few years that I proceed doing it.”
Off-field image
Bournemouth's 80-year-old billionaire proprietor, Invoice Foley, flew from the US in April to formally open the membership's £35m state-of-the-art coaching advanced and on the identical go to he shared one other welcome nugget: he has agreed a deal to purchase their Vitality Stadium dwelling, permitting Bournemouth to develop its capability to about 20,000. The Cherries have been locked into an onerous lease with the property firm Structadene, which purchased the bottom in 2005, then generally known as Dean Court docket, for £3.5m, a deal that helped the membership keep away from administration. Foley – by way of his Black Knight consortium – added the Portuguese membership Moreirense to his secure, which incorporates investments in Lorient, Hibernian and Auckland FC.
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Star signing
There was a lot noise about Kerkez's departure for Liverpool that the arrival of his alternative, signed earlier than Kerkez formally headed for Anfield, went underneath the radar. Adrien Truffert has the instruments to be a breakout star within the Premier League. Bournemouth sealed the signing of the 23-year-old Belgium-born left-back for an preliminary £11.4m from Rennes, a price the Cherries – and a few of their top-flight rivals who've tracked the full-back – regard a snip given his profile. Truffert, capped as soon as by France in 2022, was captain of Rennes and made his a hundred and fiftieth Ligue 1 look in Could. Maybe it's a quirk of destiny that as a toddler he lived in Bournemouth for a yr together with his household.
Stepping up
Daniel Adu-Adjei spent the primary half of final season on mortgage on the backside of League Two, scoring two targets in 17 appearances for relegated Carlisle, so it could be fairly the soar if he's concerned. The 20-year-old striker, born in Hammersmith to Ghanaian dad and mom, has impressed in pre-season, scoring towards Everton, and skilled commonly with the primary staff at first of this yr. His father, William, regards Tony Yeboah as one in all his closest mates, whereas Daniel is learning a vitamin course funded by the Skilled Footballers' Affiliation, his go-to dish a BBQ pulled rooster burger. “At Carlisle, I lived on my own and needed to prepare dinner all my dinners so I realized lots,” he mentioned.
A giant season for …
Few gamers had as satisfying a summer season as Alex Scott. Even an ungainly face masks, the results of a fractured jaw sustained towards Aston Villa in Could, couldn't dampen his spirits. Scott starred for England as Lee Carsley's under-21s received the European Championship in Slovakia, beginning all 5 matches, although he was compelled off via harm within the last. Bournemouth paid Bristol Metropolis £25m to signal Scott two years in the past however his progress has been stop-start and he started solely eight matches final season, largely owing to a prolonged knee harm. Scott, 22 this month, is a throwback midfielder, a cute passer with an endearing urge for food to get his palms soiled. All people is craving to see extra of his expertise.
