Bournemouth’s best Premier League signings of all time

Since their historic promotion to the Premier League in 2015, Bournemouth have established themselves as a competitive presence in England's top flight, despite two seasons back in the Championship following their relegation in 2020.

The Cherries have already recorded three top-10 finishes, with their best-ever Premier League campaign coming last season when they secured an impressive sixth-placed finish under Andoni Iraola.

While not every signing has made the desired impact, the Cherries have enjoyed plenty of success in the transfer market, with several arrivals going on to play key roles in the club's Premier League journey.

The rankings consider each player's contribution in a Bournemouth shirt, with their performances, consistency, longevity and influence on the club's Premier League story all taken into account.

Here, FootballWhispers counts down Bournemouth's five best signings of the Premier League era.

5. Philip Billing

Philip Billing is a strong inclusion given the impact he had during one of the most important periods in Bournemouth's recent history.

Joining the Cherries from Huddersfield Town for a reported £15m in the summer of 2019, Billing quickly established himself as an important figure in Eddie Howe's midfield.

He went on to make 201 appearances in all competitions for Bournemouth, scoring 31 goals in the process.

While this ranking focuses on Premier League transfers, Billing was relegated with the Cherries in 2020 but remained at the club and played an integral role in their immediate return to the top flight.

During the 2021-22 Championship campaign, he scored 10 goals from midfield and provided a number of key assists as Bournemouth secured automatic promotion back to the Premier League under Scott Parker.

Billing also etched his name into Premier League history during his time on the south coast, scoring after just 9.11 seconds against Arsenal in 2023 to register the second-fastest goal in Premier League history.

After six seasons on the south coast, the Danish international eventually departed Bournemouth in 2025, bringing an influential chapter of his career to an end before returning to his home country with FC Midtjylland.

4. Lewis Cook

Lewis Cook has established himself as one of Bournemouth's most reliable and consistent midfielders, with his work rate and dependability making him a key figure throughout his time at the club.

The English midfielder, who played for England in 2018, joined the Cherries from Leeds United for a reported £6m in 2016 and has gone on to make more than 250 appearances for the club, playing at least 20 games in seven of his 10 seasons at the Vitality Stadium.

An unsung hero for much of his Bournemouth career, Cook has racked up more than 13,000 Premier League minutes and currently serves as the club's vice-captain, with plenty more to offer at the age of 29.

Like Billing, Cook remained with the south-coast side during their relegation to the Championship and played a key role in their return back to the English top flight.

The midfielder is now preparing for his ninth Premier League season, having featured heavily during pre-season under new manager Marco Rose.

Arriving for a relatively modest fee and remaining an important figure a decade later, Cook's longevity and consistency make him one of Bournemouth's best-ever signings.

3. Josh King

A fast and powerful striker, Josh King was a cornerstone of Eddie Howe's first Premier League attack and played a key role in Bournemouth establishing themselves in the top flight.

Arriving on a free transfer from Blackburn Rovers, the Norwegian international finished as Bournemouth's top scorer in their first-ever Premier League season with six goals, helping the Cherries secure a ninth-placed finish.

It was, however, during his second season that King truly announced himself.

He scored 16 goals in 36 league appearances to once again finish as Bournemouth's top scorer, including a remarkable run in early 2017 when he found the net five times in three matches.

That spell also included a hat-trick against West Ham, making King just the sixth Norwegian to score three goals in a Premier League game at the time.

The following season saw King reach double figures once again, underlining his importance to Bournemouth's attack before his eventual departure for Everton in the 2020-21 campaign.

With 48 Premier League goals for the Cherries, King remains Bournemouth's all-time leading scorer in the competition, with his goals proving instrumental in helping the club establish themselves in the top flight and earning him a place among their best-ever signings.

2. Antoine Semenyo

The most recent addition to our list, Antoine Semenyo joined the Cherries from Bristol City in January 2023 for a reported £10m on a four-and-a-half-year contract.

The former Bath City and Newport County forward has the fewest appearances among the five players on our list but still made a significant impact during his time at the Vitality Stadium.

Semenyo scored 30 goals and provided 10 assists in 101 Premier League appearances for Bournemouth before joining Manchester City in January 2026, allowing the Cherries to make a substantial profit on the Ghana international.

His move to Pep Guardiola's side remains a club-record sale for Bournemouth, with the £64 million deal representing a £54m profit on their initial investment.

That sizeable fee has provided Bournemouth with significant funds to reinvest in their squad, while Semenyo also departed the south coast as the club's third-highest Premier League goalscorer.

Having made the step up to one of the country's biggest clubs, Semenyo enjoyed an impressive start to life at Manchester City under Pep Guardiola and will now look to build on that as he enters a new chapter under the club's new manager, Enzo Maresca.

1. Nathan Ake

Nathan Ake arrived at Eddie Howe's Bournemouth as the club's record signing, joining from Chelsea for £20m after the Cherries had already seen a glimpse of his quality during a loan spell the previous season, when the centre-back scored three times in 10 league appearances.

After making the move permanent, Ake played every league match in each of his first two full seasons before making 29 Premier League appearances in his final campaign at the Vitality Stadium.

He quickly became a key figure in Bournemouth's back four and was named both the Players' Player of the Season and Fans' Player of the Season in his first full season after his permanent move from West London, rewarding the club's faith in making him their record signing.

Ake did taste relegation in his final season, with injuries hampering his campaign, including a hamstring problem that saw him miss six consecutive games.

Had he remained fit throughout the season, Bournemouth may have had a better chance of avoiding the drop.

Despite their relegation, Ake had done enough to attract interest from Manchester City, who signed him for £41m in 2020, making him Bournemouth's record sale at the time.

He went on to become an important member of Pep Guardiola's side, winning 12 major honours during his six seasons at the Etihad.

The fact that the top two players on our list both secured successful moves to Manchester City is further evidence of Bournemouth's ability to identify and develop talent, and the Cherries will be hoping to repeat that kind of transfer business ahead of the 2026-27 season.