Bafodé Diakité has completed his signing for Premier League outfit, Bournemouth as he joins from Ligue 1 side, Lille.
Softfootball understands that the deal for the new center back is worth €35m plus €5m in add-ons. He replaces Illia Zabarnyi who recently left for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).
Welcoming the player to the premier league, Bournemouth announced his arrival via their official X handle, with a simple statement.
It read:
“Bafodé Diakité.
“Our new centre-back 😍.”
The 24 year-old made 107 appearances for Lille in all competitions before his switch to Bournemouth. He also played for Toulouse in the past, where he made his Ligue 1 debut aged just 17 in a 1-0 win over Reims.
Diakité was born on 6 January 2001 in Toulouse, France to Guinean parents. He holds French and Guinean nationalities.
However, Diakité is a youth international for France. In 2024, he was called up to the France team for the Olympics football tournament in a preliminary list alongside his Lille teammates Lucas Chevalier and Leny Yoro (now at Manchester United).
But the three players were eventually retained by their club due to the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League qualifying phase and play-off round played in August before the start of the Ligue 1 season.
Diakité is a versatile player, primarily a central defender, who can also play as a full-back, particularly on the right. He is known for his strong physical presence, tackling ability, and reading of the game.
Diakité is also comfortable in possession and capable of distributing the ball effectively. He reads the game perfectly and fearless in dangerous situations as he takes positive risks.
Bournemouth shared a video of Diakite’s unveiling via their official X handle.
Watch below:
Next in line… 👑 pic.twitter.com/YxvicAArc2
— AFC Bournemouth 🍒 (@afcbournemouth) August 13, 2025
Diakite will go straight into Coach Andoni Iraola’s Bournemouth squad that would face Liverpool in the Premier League season opener on Friday.
