Jermaine Jenas has heaped praise on Dango Ouattara – who West Ham and Everton missed out on – after he destroyed Liverpool.
What’s the story?
Well, it was Media Foot in France who claimed that the Hammers and the Toffees both wanted to sign the Burkina Faso international in January.
Foot Mercato even claimed that Everton had a bid worth £18m rejected for Ouattara.
Eventually, it was Bournemouth who won the race for his signature after agreeing a £20m deal with Lorient, and that now looks to have been an inspired signing by the Cherries.
Ouattara has provided three assists in his seven Premier League appearances so far, with his setup for Philip Billing’s goal against Liverpool earlier today helping Bournemouth secure all three points.
Aside from that assist, the 21-year-old was a thorn in Jürgen Klopp’s side all afternoon, with Jenas describing him as the “standout performer” on BT Sport.
The 40-year-old said: “Bournemouth as a unit have been brilliant, the midfield has been excellent but I think Dango Ouattara has been the standout.”
Ouattara shows West Ham & Everton what they missed out on
As WhoScored shows, the Bournemouth No.11 was sensational against Liverpool.
Ouattara embarked on four successful dribbles – no player on the pitch registered more – while he also put in a remarkable shift defensively with five clearances to help preserve Bournemouth’s clean sheet.
It was a phenomenal performance from the youngster, who has adjusted to life in the Premier League very quickly indeed – his efforts helped move Bournemouth out of the relegation zone after today’s early kickoff ended.
Of course, £20m is not exactly cheap, but for a player with plenty of room for improvement, it seems to be a wise long-term investment by the Cherries.
As West Ham and Everton continue to struggle in the Premier League, they surely regret missing out on the extremely talented Ouattara to a relegation rival.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
