AFC Bournemouth have re-entered negotiations with Lille for defender Bafodé Diakité, following growing indications that Illia Zabarnyi is close to completing a £55 million transfer to Paris Saint-Germain.
The Cherries had previously stepped away from discussions with Lille due to the French club's £35 million asking price for the 24-year-old centre-back. However, with Zabarnyi’s expected departure, the south coast club has revived its pursuit of Diakité to reinforce their defensive options.
Sources close to the situation say Diakité, a former France U21 international, has verbally agreed to personal terms on a five-year contract with Bournemouth. However, talks between the two clubs are ongoing as they work to finalize the transfer fee.
Lille president Olivier Létang, while initially reluctant to part with Diakité, hinted on Friday that a departure could happen, saying, “It’s possible, but only one,” when asked about the likelihood of a central defender leaving the club.
Meanwhile, PSG are pushing to finalize the Zabarnyi deal within the next 48 hours. While a base fee has been broadly agreed, discussions continue around the structure of add-ons. The French champions are eager to complete the signing ahead of the new Ligue 1 season and reportedly face late interest from Tottenham Hotspur, though all parties remain optimistic about finalizing the deal.
Bournemouth are also exploring additional options in central defense following Dean Huijsen’s £50 million move to Real Madrid earlier this summer. Targets reportedly include Chelsea's young defender Josh Acheampong and Sevilla’s Loïc Badé.
The club is also considering strengthening its attacking lineup, with plans to bring in a striker to provide competition for Evanilson.
In a separate development, PSG have reportedly secured a £35 million deal for Lille goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier. The move comes amid contract tensions with current No. 1 Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Source: BBC
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