Coming into the season, there are several moving parts in this Bournemouth side that means it is looking very different to the side that started against Leicester City at the end of the 2024/25 campaign just months ago.
Nevertheless, it was a positive start to the season for the Cherries, with Andoni Iraola’s side taking the game to Liverpool and testing the champions at Anfield.
Bournemouth's opening fixture ended in a 4-2 victory for Liverpool, with Federico Chiesa and Mohamed Salah providing the game's devastating blows in its late stages.
However, there was plenty to be happy about for the south coast side, thanks to several impressive individual performances.
Antoine Semenyo led from the front, taking the game by the scruff of the neck and adding a brace, while Tyler Adams was also immense in midfield.
Looking forward to the weekend, Bournemouth return to the Vitality Stadium for the first time this season to face Wolves.
Cherries fans' excitement is at a high, with new additions Ben Gannon Doak and Amine Adli looking set to feature in the matchday squad for the first time in red and black, but several talents at the club can cause issues for any opposition in the Premier League.
So, who are some of the players in **Iraola**’s squad to look out for this season?
1. Evanilson
It might seem obvious picking someone like Evanilson, **Bournemouth**’s record signing and their goal-scorer, but following his debut season at the club, the Brazilian has much more to give.
Joining last summer from FC Porto, Evanilson needed a slight bedding-in period from Portugal to England before netting 12 goals in 34 appearances for the Cherries.
Outscoring former striker Dominic Solanke in his debut campaign, overall, it was a positive start for Evanilson.
In the present day, fitness is key for the Brazilian, with the striker missing a large part of last season due to injury.
**Evanilson**’s pace, pressing, and link-up play are a huge part of **Bournemouth**’s system, with the 25-year-old being a key cog in Iraola's machine.
Simply by playing five or six more games in the Premier League this season, Evanilson could score a handful of goals and outperform his return in his debut season, potentially also being enough to catapult the Cherries into European football.
One of the most exciting players and new additions to the Bournemouth squad for this season, Eli Junior Kroupi, oozes potential.
With 22 goals scored in Ligue 2 last season for Lorient, he has finally joined the Cherries with a wealth of early experience and talent at an early age, providing depth and threat from the bench for **Iraola**’s squad.
A relatively small striker, the Frenchman offers more than just goals in his game.
At 19 years old, Kroupi is creative, clinical, and versatile, and alongside leading the line, the striker can also play in central attacking midfield or on the wing.
Still raw, with plenty to learn, but the Frenchman is bound to be involved in **Iraola**’s squad, improving throughout the season, and being only 19, the forward’s future at the Vitality Stadium is extremely bright.
Last summer, Hamed Traore seemed to be a bit of a castaway in **Bournemouth**’s squad, not fitting the system or reaching the intensity wanted by his manager.
However, after being loaned out to the top tier of French football in 2024, Traore revived himself for AJ Auxerre, netting goals in Ligue 1 and producing hope for a return to the Premier League.
Ten goals and two assists in 26 league matches, the Ivorian international was taking up new positions, box crashing late into the penalty area, and picking up rebounds to put his name on the score sheet on several occasions.
While clubs have been linked, Traore currently remains a Bournemouth player, and the 25-year-old could not have had a much better league start, registering an assist from the bench against Liverpool.
Whether his role is from the bench or Traore can nail down a starting spot, it is a massive season at the Vitality Stadium for the former Sassuolo man.
For Bournemouth’s American enforcer, **Tyler Adams**’ season relies heavily upon his injury record.
Joining in 2023, the midfielder’s debut season in the south of England was a disaster.
Adams made just three appearances for the Cherries in the Premier League, with the American missing large parts of the season due to injury.
However, during his sophomore season at Bournemouth, the midfielder redeemed himself, appearing 28 times in the English top-flight, becoming an important member of **Iraola**’s squad.
Intensity and aggression are the foundations of Adams’ game, with the defensive midfield marshalling and snapping at the heels of opposition to win the ball back for his team.
To kick off the 2025/26 season, Adams was named in the Cherries starting eleven at Anfield, producing one of his best displays in red and black as he marked and frustrated Florian Wirtz.
With Lewis Cook injured, Adams has increased pressure to produce, but if he can keep fit, he is fantastically positioned to have a career year for Iraola’s men.
A new signing for Iraola’s side, Bafode Diakite, comes to the club with a big reputation and expectations, having become the club’s second most expensive signing behind Evanilson this summer.
Filling the big shoes of Dean Huijsen and Illia Zabarnyi, the Frenchman has to start his Bournemouth career rapidly, building chemistry with his teammates and finding his place in Iraola’s squad.
A versatile central defender, who can also play as a right back, Diakite is a modern-day defender, being physically dominant, alongside being able on the ball.
Having joined Bournemouth last week, Diakite began his seaside career swimmingly, impressing against Liverpool.
In his Premier League debut, the 24-year-old was strong on both sides of the game, recording a passing success rate of 73%, six clearances, and eight recoveries.
Iraola’s side look set to sign another central defender to partner the former LOSC Lille man.
However, Diakite will want to make a quick and positive impression at the Vitality Stadium.