AFC Bournemouth’s new additions, Dominic Solanke and Nathaniel Clyne, have shared their excitement after joining the Dorset club last week.
Solanke, an ex-Chelsea and Liverpool striker, made the switch to Vitality Stadium for £19 million – making the 21-year-old the third most expensive English frontman.
His former teammate at Anfield, Clyne, eased Cherries’ injury crisis at right-back after finalising a six-month loan deal, despite Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe previously admitting his reluctance to splash the cash in the winter window.
The two new signings faced the media in a press conference today, with Solanke admitting delight with his choice of club:
“The boys have made me feel welcome. I knew a few of the boys before, so that helped me a bit.
“I just think that the club is going somewhere, they play some really good football. They’ve got a great manager and some great players here as well, so I’m looking forward to working with everyone.”
Although Solanke made his senior team debut for Chelsea in a 2014 Europa League clash with Maribor, the starlet’s lack of game time in the Premier League resulted in a switch to Liverpool.
But after the move Solanke, was met with further frustration at Anfield, netting just once in the 2017/18 campaign, and today admitted:
“I think it’s always difficult, especially at Liverpool considering how well they’re doing this season. They’re challenging for the title, so it’s always going to be difficult for players to break in to that team.
“I’m thankful for everything that happened there and I learnt a lot, so I’m hoping I can take that into what I do here.”
Clyne, who was officially confirmed as a Cherries player on the same day as his former teammate, drew up comparisons between two elite Premier League tacticians – Eddie Howe and Jurgen Klopp.
“Both play similar styles of football, they both want to press high up the pitch and it’s what I’m used to. It’s like a second nature to me, so I’m looking forward to getting started here.”
The 27-year-old full-back chose to join the Cherries rather than Cardiff City, causing Bluebirds manager Neil Warnock to deliver an extraordinary rant berating the move in a recent press conference.
When questioned why he had chosen to move to the south coast instead, Clyne explained:
“If you look at the club, it’s a good club on the up. They’ve got great quality players here and the style of play is similar to what I played in at Liverpool. The manager’s good here, so I’m just looking forward to the challenge and I can’t wait to get going.
“Hopefully I get the nod to start the game. It would be my first Premier League game for Bournemouth and I’m looking forward to the opportunity. Hopefully we can go there and get the result we’re looking for.”
Author: Dan Davis
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