Bournemouth sign Turkey striker Enes Unal on a permanent deal

Bournemouth have signed Turkey striker Enes Unal on a permanent deal for a fee reported to be around £14m.

The 27-year-old initially arrived on loan from La Liga side Getafe in January but has now agreed a four-year contract at the Vitality Stadium.

Unal made 17 appearances for the Cherries last season as he came back from a serious knee injury sustained in Spain and told the club website ‘I am so happy to be heading back.’

“I enjoyed testing myself in the Premier League while regaining my fitness, and now I am really excited for the years ahead,” he added.

“The project here is something I was keen to be a part of back in January, and I think that we have great potential together to improve further.”

He’s OÜRS 🇹🇷

After a successful loan spell, we can confirm Enes Ünal has signed a four-year contract at #afcb ❤️ pic.twitter.com/ci6YoEfHN3

— AFC Bournemouth 🍒 (@afcbournemouth) May 29, 2024

AFC Bournemouth chief executive Neill Blake said: “We have been very impressed by Enes during his time with us over the past few months.

“His work rate and attitude have been exemplary following a long period of injury rehabilitation, and his desire to succeed in Premier League has been clear to see throughout.

“He has proved to be a great addition to the playing squad here and we are delighted to confirm that he joins us on a long-term contract.”

Unal has won 33 caps for Turkey and has been named in tbeir provisional squad for Euro 2024, where they will face Georgia, Portugal and Czech Republic in the group stage.

Unal scored twice and assisted two goals for Bournemouth after arriving on loan, though he completed more than 45 minutes only twice in 16 Premier League appearances.

He netted his first goal to snatch a dramatic 2-2 draw against Sheffield United and then teed-up the late winner as Bournmeouth came from behind to beat Luton 4-3 four days later.

The former Villarreal and Real Valladolid frontman then scored one and set up another as the Cherries beat Brighton 3-0 to reach the club’s highest points total in the Premier League.