Bournemouth commence negotiations with Lille for Bafode Diakite | OneFootball

Bournemouth have commenced talks with Lille to sign highly-rated centre-back Bafode Diakite, according to L’Equipe.

Following the sale of Dean Huijsen to Real Madrid for €62 million and the expected departure of Ilya Zabarnyi to PSG, Bournemouth are in urgent need of defensive reinforcements.

Diakite has been identified as a top priority by the club’s recruitment team, who value his blend of physicality and composure.

Discussions between Bournemouth and Lille are already underway, with an official offer expected imminently.

Diakite is under contract with Lille until June 2028, and the French club is keen to negotiate a deal that reflects his value.

With the player valued at around €30 million, Lille are unlikely to receive anything close to the €62m windfall they got from the sale of Leny Yoro to Manchester United last summer.

Diakite formed a solid partnership with Alexsandro Ribeiro during the 2024-25 season as Lille conceded the second-fewest goals in Ligue 1 (35), one behind champions Paris Saint-Germain.

The 24-year-old also scored four goals, the second-most of any centre-back in the French top flight, highlighting his ability to contribute at the top end of the pitch.

He ranked fifth for accurate passes per game (67.1) and would fit seamlessly into Bournemouth’s possession-based system under Andoni Iraola.

Securing Diakite would be a major coup for Bournemouth, helping to stabilize a defense that has seen significant turnover this summer.

In addition to both of their starting centre-backs from last season, the Cherries have also lost Milos Kerkez to Liverpool but have already brought in Adrien Truffert as a replacement.