Bournemouth have signed French centre-back Bafode Diakite from Lille for £34.6m, making him their second most expensive signing.
The 24-year-old, who played 31 Ligue 1 matches and 10 Champions League games last season, joins amid a major defensive overhaul following the high-profile departures of Illia Zabarnyi, Dean Huijsen, and Milos Kerkez.
Diakite, Lille’s highest-scoring defender in recent years with 13 goals, will link up immediately with Andoni Iraola’s squad ahead of Friday’s Premier League opener against Liverpool.
The club is still seeking an additional central defender.
