Bournemouth strengthen defence with Alex Jimenez loan from AC Milan

The 20-year-old, considered one of Europe's brightest young talents, made 34 appearances for the Serie A side since joining from Real Madrid's academy in 2023.

Jimenez spent a decade at Real Madrid's famed youth system, developing from 2012 to 2022, before making the step into senior football.

Jimenez has represented Spain at under-15, under-17 and under-19 levels, and is set to join the under-21 squad during the upcoming international break.

Speaking on the club website, Bournemouth's president of football operations, Tiago Pinto, said: "Alex is a highly regarded young player who has already shown great promise at AC Milan. We are delighted to bring a player with such talent into the club and we believe he will be a strong addition to our squad.

"We're looking forward to working with him once he returns from international duty with Spain."

The defender also expressed his excitement: "I'm very happy. I'm excited about this project and that they've welcomed me so well. I can't wait to start training with the team and playing with the team.

"It has always been one of my dreams to play in the Premier League and as long as I can fulfil a dream, I will be happy."

Jimenez becomes the latest summer recruit for Bournemouth, joining Adrien Truffert, Dorde Petrovic, Bafode Diakite, Ben Gannon-Doak and Amine Adli.

Junior Kroupi is also preparing for his first full season with the squad, giving head coach Andoni Iraola a wider pool of options as the Premier League campaign intensifies.