Bournemouth strengthen squad with signings of Max Aarons and Alex Scott

Bournemouth has secured two additions to its ranks by announcing the signings of defender Max Aarons and midfielder Alex Scott. Both players have joined on long-term contracts.

Max Aarons, 23, made his transfer from Norwich City, following a summer where he lifted the 2023 Under-21 EURO tournament trophy with England.

The full-back, with more than 200 league matches in his professional career, played a role for the Canaries last season, missing only a single Championship match and having 70 Premier League appearances to his name.

Neill Blake, AFC Bournemouth's chief executive, expressed the club's excitement about the signing.

"We are thrilled to welcome Max to the club. He’s a player who will be an excellent fit in our system, with physical attributes and technical ability that will benefit the team and our style of play. We’re looking forward to working with him and we have no doubt that Max is going to prove a great addition to the squad."

The Cherries have also recruited the services of 19-year-old midfielder Alex Scott from Bristol City.

Scott had a solid 2022/23 season, which saw him win the EFL Championship Young Player of the Season award and secure a spot in the Championship Team of the Season.

However, the club revealed that Scott had sustained a knee injury during training, with scans during the medical assessment revealing the damage to be more significant than initially thought.

The youngster will undergo a rehabilitation period before joining the squad.

Commenting on Scott's signing, Blake said, “We are delighted to welcome Alex to the club, who is one of the most exciting young players in Europe. He’s a player that has vast experience at such a young age with strong technical ability and a really good footballing brain. Alex will be an excellent fit in our system, and we’re excited to see him continue to develop under Andoni’s management.”

A Guernsey native, Scott made a name for himself early, debuting for semi-professional club Guernsey at just 16, becoming the club’s youngest-ever player.

He then moved to Bristol City in 2020, quickly breaking into the first team and even earning praise from Manchester City's Pep Guardiola, who described him as an “unbelievable player.”