Bournemouth announce Enes Unal signing

Bournemouth have confirmed the signing of Getafe striker Enes Unal on loan with an obligation to buy under certain conditions.

The 26-year-old will at least spend the remainder of the season at the Vitality Stadium, and the Cherries have revealed that he will pen a permanent deal if unspecified objectives are met in the coming months.

It was previously reported that Bournemouth would possess a £14m option to keep Unal on the books at the end of the campaign, and he returns to England following an unremarkable spell at Manchester City.

"We're really pleased to welcome Enes to the club and believe he'll add strength to our front line," Bournemouth chief executive Neill Blake told the club's website. "He's proven that he can score goals in multiple different countries, and we believe he's got the skillset to succeed in the Premier League."

A product of the Bursaspor youth system, Unal joined Man City as an 18-year-old in July 2015, but he left the Premier League champions without making a single competitive appearance for the club.

While on the books with the Citizens, the Turkish attacker was loaned out to Genk, NAC Breda and FC Twente, scoring 18 Eredivisie goals with the latter in the 2016-17 season before earning a permanent move to Villarreal.

We're delighted to confirm the signing of Turkey international Enes Ünal on an initial loan ✍️ pic.twitter.com/rb9gS29sDV

— AFC Bournemouth 🍒 (@afcbournemouth) February 1, 2024

However, as was the case at Man City, Unal spent most of his Villarreal career on loan elsewhere, enjoying temporary stints with Levante and Real Valladolid and playing just 31 times for the Yellow Submarine.

The 26-year-old was shipped out to Getafe in 2020, and he has made a name for himself with the Azulones over the past few years, netting 36 goals and providing 10 assists in 109 matches.

Unal has struck a combined 30 goals across the last two completed La Liga campaigns, although he has made just five appearances this season due to a cruciate ligament tear, setting up two goals.

At international level, Unal struck a phenomenal 25 goals in 24 games for Turkey's Under-16s and has since netted three times in 32 senior appearances, earning a place in his nation's Euro 2020 squad.

The 6ft 1in striker arrives at the Vitality Stadium to provide cover and competition to Dominic Solanke, who scored his 13th Premier League goal of the season in Wednesday's 1-1 draw with West Ham United.

With Unal reinforcing Bournemouth's attacking ranks, the Cherries allowed the out-of-favour Kieffer Moore to move to Ipswich Town on loan earlier on deadline day.