Solanke and Kerkez react to Justin Kluivert as he ‘pushes for Bournemouth transfer’
Justin Kluivert’s displays for Bournemouth have attracted plenty of transfer interest as he prepares for international duty.
Bournemouth enjoyed their best ever season under Andoni Iraola and secured a joint-highest Premier League finish of ninth, with 56 points recorded and most of the campaign spent in the European places.
Kluivert ended the season as the Cherries’ top scorer with 12 league goals which included a hat-trick of penalties against Wolves in December, a feat never previously achieved in any Premier League games.
Iraola’s side were firmly in European contention until a slump in form saw them win just four of their last 15 matches, and Bournemouth are already locked in numerous battles to keep their squad together.
Kluivert ‘pushing for Bournemouth exit’ away from Vitality Stadium
The Cherries have already lost Dean Huijsen to Real Madrid after they triggered his £50million release clause before the season had even ended, and he could be followed by Milos Kerkez and Illya Zabarnyi.
Kluivert is another player whose form could see him jump ship from the Vitality, and the Dutchman’s agent has offered him to other Premier League and European clubs to force through a summer transfer.
Bournemouth’s junior player of the year has outscored the likes of record signing Evanilson and the exit-linked Antoine Semenyo, but hasn’t let the speculation affect him yet after the campaign concluded.
The 26-year-old posted on Instagram (3 May) from the Netherlands’ training camp as they prepare to face Finland and Malta in two World Cup qualifiers, which was liked by both Kerkez and former Cherries striker Dominic Solanke.
Bournemouth braced for further exits after Huijsen transfer
Football Insider verdict
Clubs across Europe had queued up for Huijsen upon the reveal of his £50m release clause, but Madrid quickly won the race to strike a blow for the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal, Bayern Munich and Newcastle.
That looks set to be the first of several high-profile departures from the south coast this summer, and Liverpool are keen to bounce back by signing Kerkez just days after Jeremie Frimpong arrived at Anfield.
Solanke’s £65m transfer to Tottenham last summer broke Bournemouth’s record sale by some distance, but as clubs sniff around the likes of Semenyo and Kluivert, he may not hold that record for much longer.