Bournemouth announced their first signing of the summer last Tuesday, with goalkeeper Asmir Begovic joining from Chelsea for a fee believed to be in the region of £10 million.
The 29-year-old put pen to paper on a long-term deal and will arrive at the Vitality Stadium on July 1.
Speaking to the club’s official website, manager Eddie Howe revealed how he believes Begovic’s quality and experience will prove invaluable over the next few years:
“Asmir is an outstanding goalkeeper who has proved himself capable of performing at the highest level over a number of years. He is at the right age and the right fit. He is a leader as well and exactly the kind of character you want in the team. Asmir will provide great competition to the excellent group of goalkeepers we already have here… I look forward to him being a very important player here for years to come.”
The History
Begovic’s big break came when playing for Southwest Sting Edmonton in Canada, where his family moved when he was aged just 10.
In 2003, the young goalkeeper earned a trial at Portsmouth and after two days was offered a contract, which he signed despite having another trial with Tottenham Hotspur already arranged.
After playing for the youth team, Begovic was then sent out on a series of loan spells to gain valuable first-team experience.
He spent time at Belgian top-flight side La Louviere in 2005/06, where he made two league appearances, before obtaining his UK visa in the summer of 2006, allowing the keeper to go out on loan to then League Two outfit Macclesfield Town.
Begovic played three matches for The Silkmen before linking up with Bournemouth for the first time, where he made eight appearances with the club in League One.
He then enjoyed two separate loan spells at Yeovil Town, totalling 14 matches, before making his Premier League debut for Pompey in May 2009.
The 2009/10 season saw Begovic make six appearances during a loan spell with Championship side Ipswich Town, while he also played nine times for Portsmouth in the Premier League before moving to Stoke City for a fee of £3.25 million in February 2010.
It was with the Potters where Begovic established himself as a Premier League goalkeeper, making 173 appearances over five-and-a-half seasons, before moving to Chelsea in the summer of 2015 for a fee of £8 million.
But Begovic had to play second fiddle to first-choice stopper Thibaut Courtois. During his two-year spell in west London he only made 19 Premier League appearances, with the majority of those coming when the Belgian was unavailable due to both injury and suspension for the first half of the 2015/16 campaign.
The Prospects
Frustrated at a lack of first-team opportunities at Stamford Bridge, the move to Bournemouth should see Begovic become the first-choice goalkeeper at the Vitality Stadium.
Although Artur Boruc started 35 times in 2016/17, the new arrival’s pedigree and significant transfer fee indicates that he will grab the number one jersey.
Somewhat surprisingly, delving into the Opta data available from 2011/12 onwards, Begovic’s average of 31.2 minutes per save is only slightly superior to Boruc’s 35.2.
Yet the new boy’s FPL potential is highlighted by career-high scores of 144 points and 136 points in back-to-back seasons for Stoke City over 2012/13 and 2013/14.
Boruc’s top two hauls have been 125 points in 2013/14 and 120 points from last season, which included two penalty saves.
Bearing in mind that the Cherries conceded 67 times last year – the fifth-worst defence in the top-flight – there’s an argument that Begovic could start at 4.5 to offer a budget-friendly route into Howe’s backline.
Certainly, his arrival is expected to enhance the Fantasy prospects of the Bournemouth backline, with Charlie Daniels, Steve Cook and, potentially, Adam Smith perhaps all set to be priced at 5.0.
Daniels was the sixth highest scoring defender in Fantasy Premier League (FPL) on 134 points, with four goals and three assists making him the preferred option.
Yet the underlying stats show that Smith had the edge for both minutes per key pass (103.3 to 109.3) and shot (119.2 to 161.1).
Smith started last year at 4.5 to Daniels’ 5.0 and if we’re faced with the same scenario, then the former – who earned a goal and five assists – could prove a value option, should he find an end product.
But Cook could be the main beneficiary. Ranked first for clearances, blocks and interceptions in the Premier League last season, he collected more bonus points (17) than any defensive team-mate and produced more shots and efforts in the box than both Daniels and Smith.
Ultimately, Begovic’s price – relative to the rest of the Cherries’ rearguard – will be a key factor here. A cost of 4.5 could turn a few heads, though if he can improve upon last season’s total of 10 clean sheets, then the all-round potential on offer from his defensive team-mates may be more appealing.
