Bournemouth open talks for Lille’s Bafodé Diakité | OneFootball

Bournemouth have opened discussions with Lille over the signing of Bafodé Diakité (24), with the French defender emerging as a top priority for the Premier League side this summer according to a report from L’Équipe.Bournemouth are preparing for major changes in central defence. Following the €62m sale of Dean Huijsen to Real Madrid earlier this month, Ilya Zabarni is also closing in on a move to Paris Saint-Germain. To rebuild their backline the Cherries are targeting Diakité, whose strong Champions League performances with Lille — particularly against Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid, and Borussia Dortmund — have not gone unnoticed.

The former France U21 international formed a solid partnership with Alexsandro during LOSC’s 2024/25. Lille qualified for European competition once again under Bruno Génésio but risk losing a key defensive figure. Les Dogues are likely to command a significant fee for a player entering his prime, and is under contract until 2027.GFFN | George Boxall