Illia Zabarnyi responds to confirmed Bournemouth exit announcement
Bournemouth defender Illia Zabarnyi has responded on social media after the Cherries confirmed an exit with a heartfelt message.
Andoni Iraola’s side enjoyed a stellar 2024/25 campaign as they finished in ninth place and reached the FA Cup quarter-finals.
Zabarnyi played a key part in Bournemouth’s success, but he has already seen some of his influential teammates depart this summer, with Dean Huijsen leaving the club to join Real Madrid, while Milos Kerkez has moved to Liverpool.
His own impressive form has seen Football Insider recently reveal that Bournemouth are braced to lose Zabarnyi to Paris Saint-Germain this summer, with talks advancing and the Champions League holders extremely keen to sign him ahead of next season.
Former scout Mick Brown also told Football Insider last month that Zabarnyi has his heart set on joining PSG, with the Cherries set to accept an offer for his services after fresh talks, and he has now reacted after a Vitality Stadium departure was announced.
Mark Travers leaves Bournemouth for Everton
Everton stepped up their pursuit of Cherries keeper Travers last week, with Serbian international stopper Djordje Petrovic closing in on a move to Bournemouth from Chelsea.
Travers’s move to the Toffees has now been confirmed by Bournemouth, with the club announcing his exit on Instagram on Tuesday (15 July) with a thank-you graphic, saying: “We can confirm the departure of goalkeeper, Mark Travers, who has joined Everton on a permanent deal after nine years with the Cherries. Thank you for all your efforts at Vitality Stadium, Travs.”
Zabarnyi responded to their post with a like amid rumours about his own future on the south-coast, while recently-departed Cherries man Kerkez, Alex Scott, Marcos Senesi, Luis Sinisterra and Ryan Christie all followed suit.
Bournemouth face tricky season ahead if numerous key men leave
Football Insider verdict
Bournemouth supporters will be disheartened by the departures of a number of Iraola’s main men this summer, with Huijsen and Kerkez already gone and more seemingly looking set to depart soon.
Zabarnyi would undoubtedly also be a big loss, given his impact on the team and impressive defensive exploits since he joined the south-coast side from Dynamo Kyiv in 2023.
| Appearances | Goals | Assists | Yellow cards |
| 86 | 1 | 1 | 9 |
The Ukraine international has grown into a great talent, and it comes as little surprise to see a powerhouse like PSG interested in his services, but it does look as if the French side have been holding off on a deal until their Club World Cup campaign was over, so his move may now accelerate soon.
On top of numerous players potentially joining Huijsen and Kerkez out of the exit door, Iraola could find himself out of a job if things do not go Bournemouth’s way next season, according to Football Insider’s Mick Brown, which would be a shock considering their decent showing in the last campaign.
The Cherries have still only made just one signing so far this summer in Adrien Truffert, and so they need to act fast to either get players in or they could struggle in the Premier League in 2025/26.