Bournemouth have signed goalkeeper, Michele Di Gregorio on a season-long loan from Juventus.
The 29-year-old’s move comes after two seasons at Juventus where he kept 36 clean sheets in 84 appearances across all competitions, having initially joined the Old Lady on loan from Monza for the 2024-25 season before he made the switch permanently last summer.
Di Gregorio though is ready for a new challenge as he explained that he wants to play at a high level in English football with the Cherries, who will also be competing in the UEFA Europa League this season.
“I’m very happy to be here. This is a very important moment for me and that’s why I think the decision to come here to Bournemouth was the right one.
“I felt the club’s desire to have me here and I felt the ambition that this club has to continue to grow and do great things. The Premier League is the most beautiful league in the world. It’s an honour for me to be here and to have the chance to play and play at such a high level.”
Bournemouth hold a £11.97m buy clause which they can activate their summer but should they decide not to sign Di Gregorio permanently, they will be required to pay £1.28m to Juventus to cover this season’s loan move.
Bournemouth’s President of Football Operations, Tiago Pinto added: “Michele is a goalkeeper with excellent qualities and valuable experience at the highest level.
“He has consistently demonstrated his ability in Serie A and in European competitions, and we believe he will be an excellent addition to our squad.”
Di Gregorio will wear the number 20 shirt this season at Bournemouth.
The now 29-year-old began his career at Inter Milan but failed to break through into the first-team squad after loan spells at Renate, Novara and Pordenone, before he spent two seasons on loan at Monza and helped them achieve promotion from Serie B to Serie A in the 2021-22 season via play-offs.
He then completed a permanent transfer that summer and proceeded to help Monza consolidate their Serie A status in 2022-23 and 23-24 seasons, before he joined Juventus following 53 clean sheets in 144 total appearances.
His performances in the 2023-24 season also saw him claim the Serie A Best Goalkeeper Award, having conceded just 35 goals in 33 league appearances in addition to 14 clean sheets and a league-high 127 saves that campaign.