Official | Bafodé Diakité joins Bournemouth from Lille | OneFootball

AFC Bournemouth have announced the signing of centre-back Bafodé Diakité (24) from Lille OSC.

Diakité first emerged from the Toulouse FC academy, making his professional debut for his boyhood club at 17 during a Ligue 1 fixture against Stade de Reims. Diakité would go on to make 83 appearances for Toulouse before moving north to Lille in 2022.

At Lille, Diakité’s profile grew; in his first season, he was utilised more as a right-back for the club. In his second season, it looked as if he would follow a similar path. However, a recurrent injury issue picked up during his time with the France U21s disrupted his season.

When he returned midway through the campaign, he benefited from a drop in form from Alexsandro and took up his preferred role as a centre-back more frequently. With the departure of Leny Yoro last summer, he was given a free run at the first team.

Diakité fully embraced the situation and missed only three games for Lille last season, helping the club reach the Last 16 of the UEFA Champions League. He was a dependable presence and a game changer, helping to create a solid foundation for Les Dogues.

GFFN | Nick Hartland