Transfer Centre

What is Bournemouth's top priority for the summer transfer window?

By Ben Morris, Reporter | 13 June 2023

Ahead of the summer transfer window opening on Wednesday, Sports Mole looks at the priority for Bournemouth in the transfer market over the next few months.

Although Bournemouth enjoyed a positive return to the Premier League, the south coast side cannot afford to rest on their laurels, as failing to strengthen the squad during the summer transfer window would almost certainly prove costly.

Due to the millions of pounds that top-flight teams will inevitably spend during the off-season, the Cherries' new owners must make transfer funds available this summer, or Gary O'Neil's side will struggle to progress.

It is no secret that Bournemouth require reinforcements at both ends of the pitch, as they finished the 2022-23 campaign with the third-worst defensive record and the fourth-worst offensive record.

Jefferson Lerma has already departed and will likely need to be replaced, but with standout midfielders such as Philip Billing, Marcus Tavernier, Ryan Christie and Hamed Traore in their ranks, Bournemouth will likely mainly target defenders and forwards this summer as they aim to both prevent and score more goals.

The Cherries would be wise to consider players from the recently relegated teams, given that Leicester City, Leeds United and Southampton all have plenty of quality on offer, with a host of players looking to earn an immediate move back to the Premier League.

Defenders such as Armel Bella-Kotchap, Kyle Walker-Peters, Robin Koch and Caglar Soyuncu would enhance Bournemouth's backline, while forwards like Kelechi Iheanacho, Patrick Bamford and Che Adams would bolster O'Neil's attacking options.

Ultimately, Bournemouth will need to strengthen in almost every department in order to keep up with the demands of top-flight football, with squad depth becoming more important each season.