CHERRIES have made their first signing of the Bill Foley era, bringing in exciting winger Dango Ouattara from FC Lorient.

The fee is reported to be around £20million, with potential bonuses to be added on at a later date.

The Burkina Faso international has signed a contract until 2028, after a fine start to the Ligue 1 campaign, scoring six goals and providing six assists in 18 appearances, helping his side to seventh in the division.

Ouattara arrived at Lorient in 2020, plucked from his hometown team Majestic.

For an insight on the talented 20-year-old, we spoke with French journalist Arnaud Huchet, who has been covering FC Lorient for the past eight years in his role at Ouest-France.

Tell us a bit about Ouattara, what can Cherries fans expect from him?

“He’s a winger. He comes from nowhere because he comes direct from Burkina Faso, nobody knew him.

“He started in the second team, which is in the fourth division. He was okay.

“Last year he integrated in the team in Ligue 1, and it was okay, but it was not great. Because when he was shooting, it was always out of the target.

“He was maybe a bit clumsy in front of goal, but he was only young and he’s still only 20 now.

“Since the beginning of this season, he walks on water.

“Everything he is trying, he succeeds. I wouldn’t say he’s lucky, but everything is going for him.

“He has incredible physical qualities. He is quick, he has very good legs, very good power.

“But he is a young player, so he can improve.

“Sometimes he has bad games. But in the game against Monaco, 2-2, he didn’t manage to do anything correct in 65 minutes, then in two minutes he was involved in the two goals of Lorient.

“He has good moments, ‘fulgurence’ (dazzling) we say in French.”

Is Ouattara ready for the Premier League, or could it be too early?

“I’m not sure. I’m waiting to see. I don’t say it won’t work, but I have doubts about his future.

“I think (Terem) Moffi (Lorient striker) is more mature than Ouattara and you take less risk by buying Moffi than by buying Ouattara.

“Ouattara is almost a bet I think, but it is a very expensive bet!”