Seven years since leaving the club after the expiry of his loan deal, Saint Etienne winger Max Gradel returns to Championship winners Bournemouth on a permanent basis. The Ivory Coast international revealed that he received offers from a bevy of bigger clubs but elected to join the Cherries by virtue of his strong relationship with manager Eddie Howe:
“I am so happy. I had a great time here before so I’m very excited to be back. I had offers for more money and bigger clubs but in football you have to go where you will be happy. There were other options, like to play Champions League football in Russia, but I decided to come here because I like Eddie a lot. Of course he’s a good manager but on top of that he’s a good person and we have a good relationship. I trust him and I am looking forward to working with him.”
The History
An Ivory Coast native, Gradel spent four months on trial to Arsenal before signing up to Leicester City’s youth academy. After penning a professional contract at the King Power Stadium in May 2007, he was sent out on loan to Bournemouth that August, where he notched nine goals in 34 outings, earning a new deal at Leicester in the process.
Gradel made his senior league bow for the Foxes in the opening fixture of the 2008/09 League One campaign. The Ivorian featured in all but three of the East Midlands outfit’s first 15 league fixtures but was restricted to 12 outings thereafter.
Deemed surplus to requirements the following term, Gradel teamed up with Leeds United on loan in October 2009. He tallied three goals in 14 appearances, before handing in a transfer request to push through a permanent deal in the January window. The former Lewisham College graduate finished the season with six goals and as many assists in just 1335 minutes of pitch time.
After chalking up 18 goals and seven assists in the 2010/11 Championship season, Gradel sought a fresh challenge with Ligue 1 club Saint Etienne. During his four years with the Greens, he amassed 31 goals and 14 assists in 101 appearances, carding an eye-catching 17 goals and four assists in the previous campaign.
Since making his debut for Ivory Coast in June 2011, Gradel has evolved into a regular starter on the international stage. The Cherries’ new boy notched two goals and one assist for the Elephants during their victorious run in the 2015 African Cup of Nations, sitting out just one group tie.
The Prospects
Discussing his new signing with the local press, Cherries boss Howe was clearly thrilled to re-acquire the in-demand Ivorian:
“I am delighted to have brought someone of Max’s quality and calibre to the football club. Having worked with him when I was a young coach and he was a young player, we built up a strong relationship. I have followed his career ever since and never thought I would be fortunate enough to be able to sign him permanently for this club. I think it is a real achievement to be able to bring him in and attract him to the club. Hopefully he will enjoy his second time here. I have no doubts that [the fans] will rekindle their love for him.”
The versatile Gradel is accustomed to playing on either flank, having been deployed on the wings in a 4-2-3-1 and as a wide forward in a 4-3-3, though he also played through the middle on occasion last term. With Matt Ritchie holding a firm grip on the right wing berth, Gradel could either take up the left flank berth at the expense of Christian Atsu and Marc Pugh, though he could even be handed the role in “the hole” behind Callum Wilson, with his keen eye for goal moving him ahead of the likes of new boy Lee Tomlin and Yann Kermorgant. Certainly, given the number of suitors he turned down, it seems highly unlikely he’s teamed up with Howe again to take on the role of bench warmer.
Following a steady start to the 2014/15 Ligue 1 campaign that harvested four goals and two assists in 18 appearances, Gradel ignited upon his return from the African Cup of Nations: his final 13 outings served up 13 goals and two assists. Aside from drawing just two blanks over that stretch, Gradel capped off the season with back-to-back braces (his third and fourth that season), underlining the potential for explosive Fantasy returns.
Priced identically to Matt Ritchie (6.0), Gradel presents an intriguing alternative for those Fantasy managers eyeing up the Scotland international in the mid-price bracket. Ritchie netted two fewer goals than Gradel yet far outstripped his new team-mate with regards to assists (17) and key passes (98 compared to 45).
Given the inferior quality of competition in England’s second tier, though, it’s perhaps more pertinent to delve into the underlying statistics, with Gradel boasting a superior shot accuracy (38.2% compared to 35.1%) and conversion rate (16.6% compared to 9.9%). That being said, Ritchie’s share of free-kicks, corners and possibly penalties bolsters his Fantasy appeal.
The Cherries’ fixtures prior to a Gameweek 9 visit to Manchester City (AVL, liv, whu, LEI, nor, SUN, sto, WAT) look conducive to attacking returns and, given that the south coast club lead the Championship scoring charts last term, with 98 goals accrued, they’ll be confident of building an early momentum in their maiden top-flight season.
