Bournemouth have completed a deal that many expected, but the timing has caught attention. However, this move did not happen during the chaos of deadline day.
Instead, the club confirmed it two weeks after the transfer window had already shut. The south coast side had brought in a young defender on loan from AC Milan last summer.
The agreement included a conditional obligation to buy. That clause depended on appearances. Thus, the last weekend proved decisive for this deal.
When the defender started against Aston Villa on Saturday, he triggered the required threshold. That appearance marked his 17th league start of the season.
He has also made four substitute appearances. Importantly, he has started or played at least 45 minutes in 50 per cent of the league matches he has been available for.
As a result, Bournemouth moved quickly to secure the deal to sign Alex Jimenez permanently. The total fee stands at £21 million.
The Cherries will pay an initial £16.8 million, with the remaining amount structured in add-ons. Jimenez played 86 minutes in the draw with Aston Villa.
Then, he completed the full 90 minutes in the 2-1 win over Everton on Tuesday. In an official statement, the club confirmed the move. AFC Bournemouth said:
“AFC Bournemouth can confirm that Alex Jimenez has completed a permanent move to the club, having met the appearance threshold required to activate the transfer clause following an initial loan.
“The 20-year-old, who joined the Cherries ahead of the current season, has now featured in more than half of the club’s competitive fixtures, triggering the terms that secure his future until 2031 on the south coast.”
Alex Jimenez recently scored his first Bournemouth goal in the 3-2 win over Liverpool. Now, he will continue to wear the number 20 shirt for the Cherries.
He’s officially ours 😍@alexjime_2 is now a permanent #afcb player 🍒🙌 pic.twitter.com/gdQPSHO8Tg
— AFC Bournemouth 🍒 (@afcbournemouth) February 12, 2026
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