Bournemouth have signed forward, Dango Ouatarra from Lorient for £20m plus add-ons.
Ouatarra’s move to Bournemouth comes after the Cherries agreed a £20m transfer fee plus various add-ons to secure the 20 year-old forward, amidst serious interest from Premier League relegation rivals including Everton, Southampton and Wolves plus others.
This transfer also sees Ouatarra move to another club in which Bill Foley and Black Knight Football Club hold a stake in – following their recent 33% stake acquirement at Lorient with view to a future takeover deal, making Ouatarra the first signing at Bournemouth under Foley’s reign.
Speaking about Ouatarra’s arrival, Bournemouth’s Chief Executive – Neill Blake commented: “We are pleased to secure the services of Dango, a promising and sought-after player with a great deal of potential.
“We have been monitoring him for a period of time and he fits the profile of the young, ambitious, hungry and hard-working player this club is looking to recruit.
“Bill has outlined his ambitious plans for the club and the signing of an exciting prospect like Dango is testament to the direction he is looking to take us.”
Ouatarra began his club career with Burkina Faso based Majestic FC until he joined Lorient’s B team in 2020, during which he scored one goal in five appearances across two seasons – of which he was promoted to Lorient’s senior squad during last season.
The 20 year-old went on to score one goal in 26 appearances in his first full season for Lorient, but has enjoyed a stronger campaign this time round, in which he netted six goals in 18 appearances – including against Ajaccio, Lyon, Nantes, Auxerre, Nice and Monaco respectively.
Lorient has also lost just one of their six Ligue matches this season in which Ouatarra found the net, as they suffered a 2-1 home defeat to Nice in late October.
Ouatarra could make his debut for Bournemouth in their home match against Nottingham Forest tomorrow (21 January) at 3pm GMT, albeit untelevised in the UK.
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