Bournemouth are third in the Premier League after selling Dean Huijsen, Milos Kerkez and Illia Zabarnyi for £150m
By WhoScored
Losing three of your four starting defenders and your goalkeeper in the same summer would send most mid-table clubs spiralling. For Bournemouth, it’s somehow become the launchpad for one of the most impressive starts in the Premier League. They sit third after eight games – not bad for a side that sold Dean Huijsen to Real Madrid, Milos Kerkez to Liverpool and Illia Zabarnyi to Paris Saint-Germain in deals worth a combined £150m, while Kepa Arrizabalaga’s loan from Chelsea came to an end.
The mastermind behind the success, Andoni Iraola, working with the Premier League’s 16th lowest wage bill, has produced nothing short of a miracle at Bournemouth. It is easy to forget that there were question marks over his arrival in the summer of 2023. Nine games without a win had Bournemouth fans glancing nervously at the table, and the doubts peaked when Gary O’Neil, the man he had replaced, returned to the Vitality with Wolves and left with a 2-1 win. “Nice to see some friendly faces,” O’Neil joked in the press room afterwards.
Continue reading…Bournemouth are third in the Premier League after selling Dean Huijsen, Milos Kerkez and Illia Zabarnyi for £150mBy WhoScoredLosing three of your four starting defenders and your goalkeeper in the same summer would send most mid-table clubs spiralling. For Bournemouth, it’s somehow become the launchpad for one of the most impressive starts in the Premier League. They sit third after eight games – not bad for a side that sold Dean Huijsen to Real Madrid, Milos Kerkez to Liverpool and Illia Zabarnyi to Paris Saint-Germain in deals worth a combined £150m, while Kepa Arrizabalaga’s loan from Chelsea came to an end.The mastermind behind the success, Andoni Iraola, working with the Premier League’s 16th lowest wage bill, has produced nothing short of a miracle at Bournemouth. It is easy to forget that there were question marks over his arrival in the summer of 2023. Nine games without a win had Bournemouth fans glancing nervously at the table, and the doubts peaked when Gary O’Neil, the man he had replaced, returned to the Vitality with Wolves and left with a 2-1 win. “Nice to see some friendly faces,” O’Neil joked in the press room afterwards. Continue reading…
