Bournemouth have announced the signing of French defender Bafode Diakite from Lille for a total package worth £34.6m, Afrosport reports.
The Cherries will pay an initial £30.3m plus up to £4.3m in add-ons, making the centre-back their second most expensive signing in history.
Bournemouth signed Brazilian forward Evanilson from Porto for a fee up to £40.2m — the most they have paid for any player till date.
He said: “I’m really happy to be here and I’m very excited to start with the team. I know the coach has great ideas which enables us to play well in the Premier League. Now I’m at the club, it’s a good opportunity to show how I can help the team going forward.”
“I’m a defender who likes to have the ball and play with it, and I hope to show my qualities both with and without it. I will give everything for the team and I hope we will have some great moments together.”
Bafodé Diakité.
Our new centre-back 😍 pic.twitter.com/a6D7TuiQgb
— AFC Bournemouth 🍒 (@afcbournemouth) August 13, 2025
Diakite, meanwhile, made 112 appearances and scored 13 goals in all competition for Lille, having initially joined from Toulouse for £2.5m in 2022.
The 24-year-old, who is of Guinean heritage, played 31 times in Ligue 1 last season, helping Lille to a fifth-place finish in the league, as well as featuring in 10 Champions League matches.
He is seen as an ideal replacement for Ukraine international Illia Zabarnyi, who departed the club after two seasons for Paris Saint-Germain in a £57m deal on Tuesday.
Bournemouth have lost three key defenders this summer, and Zabarnyi’s big money exit followed Dean Huijsen’s move to Real Madrid and Milo Kerkez’s transfer to Liverpool.
Diakite, who will wear the number 18 shirt, is the fourth summer signing at the Vitality Stadium, joining Eli Junior Kroupi (Lorient), Adrien Truffert (Rennes) and Djordje Petrovic (Chelsea).
The Frenchman is expected to begin training with his new team-mates immediately, with Andoni Iraola’s men set for a trip to Anfield to face champions Liverpool in the opening match of the Premier League season on Friday.
