As we arrive at the midpoint of January, the transfer rumour mill continues to feature heavily in the Premier League news headlines. Fans of all 20 sides are eager to see the incomings and outgoings at their clubs, whilst punters taking advantage of the Best betting offers UK will be assessing how the latest transfers are likely to affect the Premier League winner and relegation odds.
Bournemouth Active Early
As many expected, newly promoted Bournemouth seem more likely to be involved in the battle to beat the drop than the race for the European positions. Currently sitting down in 16th position, only one point and one place above the bottom three, the position of Gary O’Neill’s men is looking more than a little precarious.
However, the Cherries may well have given their survival bid a significant boost, as the south coast club look to have won the race for 20-year-old Burkina Faso international Dango Ouattara.
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£20m Deal Agreed
Since being taken over by Las Vegas-based businessman Bill Foley’s Black Knight FC partnership in December, Bournemouth fans likely hoped their club may have a little more cash to spend in the transfer market – the lack of investment over the summer seemingly one of the key reasons behind the departure of former manager Scott Parker.
The early signs are that the hopes of the Cherries fanbase may be realised, as the club has now agreed a £20m fee with French Ligue 1 Side Lorient for Ouattara. All being well with the personal terms and medical, the exciting forward is expected to sign on the dotted line at the Vitality Stadium in the coming days. Excellent news for Cherries fans, particularly as two of the other clubs most heavily linked with the signature of the player were relegation rivals Everton and Leicester City.
Defensive Investment to come Next?
With the side currently boasting the worst defensive record in the league – conceding an average of over 2 goals per game – fans may have expected the club’s first big-money move to be for defensive reinforcements. With 15 days still to go in the window, that may yet come.
Ouattara’s physicality may help on the defensive side of the ball, but it will be at the other end of the pitch where he is expected to make the most impact. But what exactly are Bournemouth getting for their money?
Dango Ouattara: Player Profile
Born in Ouagadougou in 2002, Ouattara first came to prominence playing for his local team Majestic FC. Notching 5 goals in 11 appearances for the side, the quick and powerful forward soon caught the eye of European scouts, and by 2020 he was plying his trade in the Lorient B team.
Promoted to the first team set up ahead of the 2021/22 season, Ouattara scored just once in 26 appearances in his debut campaign. A far from an impressive record, but perhaps not so bad as it appears at first glance, as many of those appearances came from the bench.
Having endured a period of adjustment last season, he has exploded into life during the current campaign, with an excellent 6 goals and 5 assists in 18 outings.
More Than Just Goals
To judge Ouattara’s game solely in terms of goals and assists would be to do him something of a disservice, particularly as he is rarely deployed centrally – preferring to receive possession in wide areas.
Whilst able to play on either side, he is often seen to best effect out on the right, where he has the option of using his explosive pace to beat his man down the outside or cut inside onto his stronger left foot.
Still a little rough around the edges, with room for improvement in his decision-making, Ouattara nevertheless looks like a shrewd piece of business and comes with enormous potential upside.
