Who will win out between Neto and Radu?

Last week we suggested that AFC Bournemouth head coach Andoni Iraola was set to mix up his goalkeeper department. This looked evident with the departure of Mark Travers on a season-long loan deal to Championship side Stoke City and the imminent arrival of Inter Milan goalkeeper Andrei Ionuț Radu on loan.

Welcome, Andrei ✅ pic.twitter.com/1FIUbUsHGL

— AFC Bournemouth 🍒 (@afcbournemouth) July 27, 2023

🔺 Experience as a 'keeper
🔺 Moving to England
🔺 Ambitions for the season

The first interview with Andrei Radu 🗣

— AFC Bournemouth 🍒 (@afcbournemouth) July 27, 2023

That deal was of course completed ahead of the Cherries pre-season friendly match with Italian side Atalanta, with Radu making his Cherries debut replacing Neto for the second half of the game.

But will Radu replace Neto on a more permanent basis come the start of the Premier League season? That question appears to yet be answered in the thoughts of Iraola.

Iraola told the Daily Echo…

“I think goalkeeping situation, okay, it’s kind of a different position, but we will make the decision for day one.

“Then after we will make the decision for day two.

“We cannot plan so far ahead because things happen in trainings, performance matters.

“I think there was a need on the club because especially I think Mark and the club wanted the situation to be like this. And I think it’s good for everyone.

“So I think Andrei can help us straight away because he has performed in a high level. He’s ready to compete for the position.

“And we’ll take the decisions day by day, game by game.”

This coupled with Iraola’s view on who his AFC Bournemouth captain will be, it leaves Neto’s position quite precarious…

Also in an interview with the Daily Echo, Iraola said…

“It’s something that we haven’t talked about that.

“We will do maybe after the pre-season games.

“Once maybe not all the players (have arrived), because all the players will be here September 1.

“Maybe it’s too late, we should do it before.

“But it’s something that we will decide and we will transmit to the players probably after the Lorient game.”

So who is AFC Bournemouth’s new signing? The 26-year-old is a Romania International, who came through the youth system at Inter Milan. He has gained first-team experience out on loan numerous times in Italy with Sassuolo, Avellino, Genoa and Cremonese and more recently with French side Auxerre.

He was part of the Inter Milan squad won the Serie A title and the Coppa Italia in 2020/21.

Your say…

USCherry wrote…

I am a little baffled by this signing. We have three keepers already, and now we have loaned out one, and brought another in on loan. Is it to provide competition for Neto, or a true backup/cup keeper?

Seems to me like we should be focusing on other areas of the pitch, but what do I know. – To join the conversation, click here.