Bournemouth seal deadline-day deals for Illia Zabarnyi and Hamed Traore
- Zak Anderton
- 31 January 2023
Bournemouth completed the signing of wonderkid Illia Zabarnyi ahead of Premier League rivals on transfer deadline day, then made Ivory Coast midfielder Hamed Traore their sixth January signing.
The Cherries have finally found a solution to their defensive woes after signing Zabarnyi on a five-and-a-half-year deal from Ukranian giants, Dynamo Kyiv.
Despite only being 20 years old, the defender has been capped 24 times by his country.
He has been at the top of his game since his debut for Dynamo Kyiv just 10 days after his 18th birthday - and will likely partner with Marcos Sensi who has been among Bournemouth's top performers this season.
Bournemouth's chief executive Neill Blake has expressed how fortunate the club are to welcome a player of Zabarnyi's calibre, saying: "We are absolutely delighted to bring Illia to the club and he arrives with a burgeoning CV.
"Despite only being 20, he has played at the highest level for club and country and has established himself as one of the most sought-after young defenders in the world."
Bournemouth have also signed Ivory Coast midfielder Traore.
Traore, 22, has joined from Serie A outfit Sassuolo on an initial loan deal which will become permanent in the summer for a further five years.
Bournemouth chief executive Neill Blake told the club website: "Hamed is another exciting prospect and we are delighted to have secured his services.
"He is young, ambitious and one of the hottest talents from Serie A. He fits the profile of the type of player we are looking to recruit and will significantly add to our creative resources.
"After Bill Foley had completed his takeover of the club last month, he said he would be investing in the squad and has certainly done so."
