Bournemouth are on the verge of finalising a move for French central defender Bafode Diakite from Lille, with the transfer valued at around £34.6 million. The 24-year-old is expected to cost £30.3 million upfront, with an additional £4.3 million payable in performance-related clauses. If completed, the deal will rank as the club’s second-highest transfer fee.
Diakite, who joined Lille from Toulouse in 2022, has played 85 times in Ligue 1 and featured in 10 Champions League matches last season. He is currently in the United Kingdom undergoing medical checks before the move is confirmed.
Transfer activity and squad changes
The potential signing would make Diakite Bournemouth’s third confirmed arrival of the summer, following the additions of left-back Adrien Truffert and goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic.
Nineteen-year-old forward Eli Junior Kroupi has also linked up with the squad after spending the remainder of last season at Lorient on loan, having already signed with Bournemouth in January.
Last season, Bournemouth set their club-record transfer fee when they secured striker Evanilson from Porto in a deal that could reach £40.2 million.
Departures and further defensive targets
The south coast club have seen significant changes in their defensive lineup. Milos Kerkez departed for Liverpool in a £40 million move, while Dean Huijsen transferred to Real Madrid for £50 million. Ukraine international Illia Zabarnyi is close to completing a £55 million-plus-add-ons switch to Paris Saint-Germain.
With those exits, Bournemouth are actively pursuing more defensive options before the transfer window closes. They have been linked with Chelsea’s Josh Acheampong and Sevilla’s Loic Bade, although reports suggest Bade is nearing a move to Bayer Leverkusen.
