Bournemouth, Jan 7 (IANS) AFC Bournemouth have announced the signing of full-back Julio Soler on a long-term contract. The 19-year-old Argentina youth international arrives from Primera Division outfit Lanus for an undisclosed fee. He becomes the club’s second senior men’s player to arrive in the January transfer window, following the signing of Matai Akinmboni.
“We are delighted to welcome Julio to AFC Bournemouth. He is someone we have monitored closely and have been extremely impressed by his progress, said president of football operations Tiago Pinto told afcb.co.uk.
Born in the Paraguayan capital of Asuncion, Julio moved to Argentina at a young age and signed for Lanús as a nine-year-old. Having progressed through the ranks at the club, he made his senior debut in a 1-0 victory over Independiente in 2022 and went on to make 58 senior appearances.
Julio arrives at Vitality Stadium having been part of the Argentina squad that featured in last summer’s Olympic Games in Paris, under legendary midfielder Javier Mascherano, where the defender started every group game. Julio has this week been named in the upcoming squad for the CONMEBOL Sudamericano Sub-20, having previously captained the side, and was also called up to boss Lionel Scaloni’s senior squad in October 2024, for World Cup qualifiers against Venezuela and Bolivia.
First-team technical director Simon Francis added, “Julio is another talented young player who arrives highly sought after and we are pleased to have added him to our squad. With the way Andoni and his staff improve exciting prospects, we look forward to seeing Julio’s progress with us.”
Bournemouth is reinforcing the squad after they sit in seventh place in the league table. With nine wins, six draws, and five losses, the Cherries are now in the battle to secure a spot in European competitions.
–IANS
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