3 days ago
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Bournemouth will have at least one new addition to their squad by the end of January.
The Cherries have agreed a £1million deal with DC United for highly-rated defender Matai Akinmboni, with the 18-year-old set to fly into the UK in the next 24 hours undergo a medical.
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One of the MLS' leading young talents, Akimboni has drawn interest from a host of European clubs after impressing in the States.
And with the January transfer window opening tomorrow, the imminent deal would likely make the US Under-19 star its first arrival, with Bournemouth moving quickly to secure his services.
Seen as a player with a huge future, it is hoped that Akinmboni will be able to provide cover in the second half of the season, as the Cherries look to build on their strong start.
Since being handed his DC United debut by Wayne Rooney aged just 15 in 2022, the youngster has racked up plenty of experience.
Last season, he made 13 appearances in all competitions, despite only turning 18 as the campaign reached its conclusion in October.
It was Akinmboni's appearances which prompted several clubs to take notice of him as a potential signing for 2025.
And it's fair to say he comes highly-recommended, with Rooney speaking in glowing terms about the starlet after he became the third-youngest player in MLS history when he made his senior bow.
On giving him his first start for DC, the Manchester United legend said: “I think I’m a man of my word.
"What I said to the players when I came in was: ‘If you perform well in training, you’ll get your chance to play.’
"He [Akinmboni] has been excellent in training and he deserved to come in."
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With Akinmboni contributing towards a clean sheet on his debut, playing the first-half of a 0-0 draw with Real Salt Lake, Rooney tipped him for a bright future.
He added: "I just felt he was ready to come in and play. Is he going to play every game? Of course not. He’s still a very young boy.
“But for him and for us to see him playing in an away game in difficult circumstances and performing the way he did as a 15-year-old – he’s got a very bright future.
"I got everything I wanted from the 45 minutes that he played tonight that I wanted to see.
"I’ll keep trying to develop him as a player and hopefully be seeing more of him in this season and for years to come.”
And the former England hero's prediction now looks to be coming true, with Akinmboni set for a taste of Premier League football.
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But things could have turned out differently, with the American reportedly spending two weeks training with Bayern Munich in 2021, before he opted to turn down their offer a contract.
And a move to the Bundesliga would have made Akinmboni the second member of his family to play for the German giants.
His uncle is former Ghana international Samuel Kuffour, who spent 12 years at Bayern between 1993 and 2005, and played in the 1999 Champions League final defeat to Man United.
But with Bournemouth flying high in seventh in the Premier League table, Akinmboni will be hoping to become the latest in his family to experience European football, as he looks to help Andoni Iraola's side build on their position in the coming months.
