Bournemouth reach agreement with Lorient for star forward

Bournemouth have identified Lorient’s Burkinabe forward Dango Ouattara as a target for a January transfer and have already agreed a deal with the French club to bring the 20-year-old starlet to England. 

Bournemouth, owned by Bill Foley, who recently acquired a 33% stake in Lorient, have beaten other Premier League clubs like Leicester and Everton to Ouattara's signature,  The Cherries have agreed to a deal believed to be worth €27.5 million to seal Ouattara’s signature. 

Leicester and Everton’s bids for Ouattara were deemed too far from Lorient’s valuation for the forward, which Bournemouth have now met. 

The deal is set to be completed soon, with Ouattara set to undergo medicals in the UK today, as personal terms are expected not to be an issue. 

Ouattara has been in great form for Lorient and has played 18 matches in Ligue 1 this season. He has contributed six goals and six assists to the team’s Ligue 1, and his 12 goal contributions are the highest for Lorient alongside Terem Moffi. 

Ouattara has created twice as many big chances as Bournemouth’s most creative outlet this season, and his direct running and ability to unbalance defences could be crucial to Bournemouth, who desperately need to stop their current freefall. 

Bournemouth have lost six games in a row and have scored only two goals in that run, which saw them get knocked out of the FA Cup and League Cup, as well as drop to 17th in the Premier League table.