They’ve reportedly paid Roma a fee of around £9.5 million to secure the services of the Dutchman, who spent the season just gone on loan at Valencia as an important first-team regular.
Here’s what Bournemouth fans can expect from their new player, and how his new boss could use him.
What sort of player is Justin Kluivert?
He may have followed in the footsteps of his father, Patrick, by rising through the ranks of the Ajax academy, but Kluivert is a different kind of player, preferring to play out wide than through the middle.
He made a name for himself in the 2017/18 campaign, establishing himself as the Amsterdam side’s first-choice left-winger and getting 11 goals and five assists in 36 games, and he’s spent most of his career since then in that position.
Being right-footed, he can often be seen cutting inside with the ball and sending in a cross or taking a shot at goal. However, he has an excellent weak foot too, which means he also has the ability to go on the outside if needed, making it all the more difficult for defenders to contain him.
Because of his strong left foot, he’s comfortable playing on the right as well. On that side, he becomes more of a traditional winger but still drives towards the centre of the pitch when the opportunity arises.
On both sides, he likes to run directly at opponents, thriving in 1v1 situations thanks to his speed and agility, and being a good crosser and finisher, he usually has a strong end product once he gets past his man.
Perhaps because of his pace and finishing ability, he was played as a striker towards the end of the season at Valencia and did a respectable job, although he played on the right for the majority of his spell in Spain - during his time there, he scored eight goals in 29 games, which is a decent return given 11 of his appearances were off the bench.
He possesses his father's eye for goal wherever he plays, being extremely cool and composed when one on one with goalkeepers.
He’s by no means perfect though, often shunning his defensive responsibilities. In terms of both tracking back and pressing from the front, there’s plenty of room for improvement, and he’ll have to show it given the manager he’s going to be working under.
How will Andoni Iraola use Kluivert?
During his three years at Rayo Vallecano, Iraola used a 4-4-2 or 4-2-3-1 most of the time, with his side defending from the front more than the vast majority of those in Europe, deploying an extremely high press.
In possession, wingers are crucial to his system, with the manager wanting his teams to get the ball out wide to them quickly and regularly - it’s a hallmark of his attacking play.
When they get the ball, those wingers are usually supported by full-backs that push up and central midfielders that move wide, giving them the option to link up with a teammate or go alone.
This approach suits Kluivert, with the Dutchman likely to get into the 1v1 situations that he thrives in by hugging the touchline but also having supportive alternatives in case he comes up against a full-back he’s struggling to get the better of in a duel.
The fact that Iraola has generally preferred wingers that move inside with the ball and make space for an overlapping defender means it’s slightly more likely the new signing will be played on the left, but as already mentioned, he could do the same job on the other side if needed.
Given that he isn’t the hardest worker or the best in the air, it’s less likely that he’ll be used as a striker, but as a wide man, he could quickly become a key player for his new side.
