Bournemouth have confirmed the signing of the Roma winger Juan Iturbe on loan for the rest of the season, with a view to a permanent signing in the summer for an undisclosed fee, believed to be in the region of £11m.
The Argentinian, who is still awaiting confirmation of his work permit, had been on the verge of a move to Watford before Eddie Howe’s side swooped for a player who joined the Giallorossi in the summer of 2014.
The 22-year-old moved to Roma from Verona for an initial €22m – though the deal has been valued at as much as €31m once signing-on and agents’ fees are taken into consideration. He failed to produce his best form at the Stadio Olimpico, scoring three goals in 39 league appearances, with his only goal this season coming against Frosinone in September.
“It’s a big opportunity for me to come and play in the Premier League,” he told Cherries Player. “I’d like to thank everyone for making this move happen and I’m very pleased to be here.
“There were a few clubs that were interested but things happened pretty quickly and once this process was under way it was a straightforward decision for me to make.
“I didn’t know a lot about Bournemouth as a club but the more I read and the more I found out how much they wanted me, it’s an easy decision to go to a place where you feel really wanted. That became the overriding factor.”
Iturbe’s career started at the Paraguayan club Cerro Porteño, and he was brought to Europe by Porto in 2011, at the age of 18. After a year and a half in Portugal, in which he did not start a league game, he returned to South America, playing the second half of the 2012-13 season at River Plate before moving to Verona.
He is known for his speed and fluent running with the ball, as well as his dangerous left-footed set pieces.
“Iturbe met his new team-mates on New Year’s Day and enjoyed his first training session,” Bournemouth announced on their website, where t. They also confirmed he is not be eligible for Saturday’s trip to Leicester.
(Guardian service)
