Bournemouth have finalised the signing of Ivorian midfielder Hamed Traore from Serie A side Sassuolo.
The brother of Manchester United sensation Amad Diallo, Traore was targeted after Bournemouth were snubbed by Roma’s Nicolo Zaniolo, with the Cherries agreeing a fee upwards of the £20m mark to get a deal done,
Ironically, Zaniolo later expressed a willingness to move to Bournemouth, only to find the Cherries were no longer prepared to pursue a move after prioritising Traore instead.
Traore’s move has now been completed, with the 22-year-old following Ukrainian centre-back Illia Zabarnyi through the entrance door at the Vitality Stadium on Deadline Day.
Traore joins on an initial loan deal and will sign a five-year contract when the deal turns permanent in the summer.
“Hamed is another exciting prospect and we are delighted to have secured his services,” said chief executive Neill Blake.
“He is young, ambitious and one of the hottest talents from Serie A. He fits the profile of the type of player we are looking to recruit and will significantly add to our creative resources.
“After Bill Foley had completed his takeover of the club last month, he said he would be investing in the squad and has certainly done so.
“Hamed’s arrival takes to six the number of new signings we have made this month and the squad is looking strong for the second half of the season.”
Traore becomes Bournemouth’s sixth signing of the winter, following on from Zabarnyi, Dango Ouattara, Darren Randolph, Antoine Semenyo and Matias Vina.
