Bournemouth officially announces the arrival of Bafodé Diakité! | OneFootball

The French-Guinean defender joins the Cherries after three solid years at LOSC.

Bournemouth officially announces the arrival of Bafodé Diakité!

Bafodé Diakité officially signed a five-year contract with Bournemouth on Wednesday, August 13, 2025. The French-Guinean centre-back leaves Lille for the Premier League in a deal reportedly worth €40 million.

LOSC reached an agreement with Bournemouth for the transfer of their 24-year-old defender. Developed at Toulouse, Diakité joined Lille in 2022 for three million euros on a deal running until 2026. After three full seasons in the North, he heads south to England, where he will wear the number 18 shirt.

"We are delighted to welcome Bafodé to the club. He already has plenty of matches under his belt despite being at the start of his career, and his ambition perfectly matches that of the club. We’re really excited to add him to our squad alongside our other new signings," said Tiago Pinto, AFC Bournemouth’s president of football operations.

Diakité becomes Bournemouth’s third summer signing from Ligue 1, following Adrien Truffert and Djordje Petrovic. Manager Andoni Iraola is banking on the athleticism and versatility of the former Lille man to shore up his defensive line.

"I’m really happy to be here and can’t wait to get started with the team. I know the coach has great ideas that will help us play well in the Premier League. Now that I’m at the club, it’s a great opportunity to show how I can help the team move forward. I’m a defender who loves to have the ball and play with it, and I hope to show my qualities both on and off the ball. I’ll give everything for the team and hope we’ll experience great moments together," said Bafodé Diakité at his unveiling.