LONDON – Bournemouth has secured the signing of Argentine defender Julio Soler, a teenager poised to contribute to the club’s ambition of achieving its first European tournament qualification. The announcement came on Tuesday, with the club confirming that Soler, who is set to turn 20 next month, has agreed to a long-term contract with them.

Although Bournemouth chose not to disclose the financial specifics of the transfer from Argentine club Lanus, British media outlets suggest the deal is valued at around £6.6 million, equivalent to approximately $8.3 million. Soler has recently garnered attention after participating in all four matches for Argentina during the 2024 Paris Olympics, where he notably came off the bench in the quarterfinals against France, which ended in a narrow 1-0 defeat for his team, having started in all three prior group stage matches.

In addition to his Olympic stint, Soler received a call-up to join Argentina’s senior team for the World Cup qualifying matches in October 2026; however, he did not make an appearance in those games. Upon his arrival, he joins a Bournemouth squad that stands seventh in the Premier League, closely trailing fifth place by just two points—a position that could potentially secure Champions League qualification for the upcoming season. Historically, Bournemouth’s top finish in the league was ninth, achieved in 2017.

Bournemouth has also mentioned that Soler was originally born in Paraguay before relocating to Argentina during his childhood, adding to his intriguing background as he embarks on this new chapter of his football career.