Justin Kluivert responds to Dango Ouattara’s emotional Bournemouth exit message – ‘I’ve grown so much’
Justin Kluivert has reacted to a new message from Dango Ouattara after his move away from Bournemouth was recently confirmed.
Ouattara joined Bournemouth from Lorient in January 2023 after two years impressing in Ligue 1, with six goals in 18 league games in 2022/23.
The Burkina Faso international forward struggled to make his mark upon his arrival at the Vitality Stadium, with just two goals netted in 51 games in all competitions across his first 18 months in England.
Ouattara impressed last term, however, following the appointment of Andoni Iraola, with seven goals and four assists in 32 Premier League appearances to help the Cherries finish ninth under the Basque boss.
Bournemouth’s team has been picked off this summer with a number of key men leaving, and Ouattara has also recently completed an exit to join Brentford.
Dango Ouattara pens emotional message after joining Brentford
Brentford were reported to be interested in Ouattara in early August, with Yoane Wissa set to leave the club amid interest from Newcastle, and his move to the Bees was confirmed on 16 August for a club-record fee of £42.5million on a five-year deal [BBC].
The 23-year-old winger took to Instagram on Tuesday (19 August) to issue a heartfelt statement to Cherries fans alongside a number of pictures of him in action for the club, saying: “Time to say goodbye. To all the (AFCB) family, all my teammates, staff, every single person working behind the scenes and especially the fans, thank you for everything.
“I’ve grown so much here, as a player and as a person. Grateful for all the memories and the support along the way. Thank you to the club and everyone for giving me the chance to live my dream of playing in the Premier League. It’s never easy to say goodbye, but I’ll always keep an eye on the Cherries. Wishing you all the best for the season. See you soon!”
His message drew a response from Bournemouth star Justin Kluivert, who commented: “Lets go brother, all the best,” with red heart and praying-hands emojis, while Marcos Senesi added: “All the best amigo!” and David Brooks replied: “Mon Gars! Good luck.”
Justin Kluivert could follow Dango Ouattara out of Bournemouth
Football Insider verdict
Ouattara’s exit has seen the exodus continue from the Vitality Stadium, and Kluivert may well be on his way out too this summer after previous claims of a potential exit.
Former scout Mick Brown revealed to Football Insider in June that Kluivert is interested in joining Bundesliga giants Bayer Leverkusen this summer, as he has been left concerned by the amount of players leaving the club, and the opportunity to play Champions League football with the German side is a “huge” draw.
| Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| 76 | 22 | 10 |
Kluivert would undoubtedly be a big loss to the Cherries, given his impact on the team and attacking exploits since he joined the south-coast side from Roma in 2023.
The Cherries have made just three outfield signings so far this summer, and so certainly need to act fast to either get players tied down to new contracts or sell them on for a healthy fee to then reinvest back into the squad, or they could struggle in the Premier League in 2025/26.