Alex Jimenez is set to join Fiorentina on loan with a €20m option to buy after Bournemouth agreed a deal with the Serie A side. The move follows a promising debut season that ended amid social media controversy, with the Cherries now appearing ready to draw a line under the episode.
Alex Jimenez looks set to leave AFC Bournemouth just months after joining the club permanently, with transfer expert Fabrizio Romano reporting that Fiorentina have reached a verbal agreement to sign the Spanish full-back on loan.
According to Romano, the deal includes an option to buy worth €20 million, with Jimenez already in Florence undergoing a medical ahead of completing the move. Italian outlet Sky Sport Italia also reports that the transfer is in its final stages, with an official announcement expected once the paperwork has been completed.
The move represents a return to familiar surroundings for the 20-year-old, who enjoyed his breakthrough in senior football with AC Milan before making the switch to the Premier League.
Jimenez initially arrived at Bournemouth on loan from Milan ahead of the 2025/26 campaign, with the deal including an obligation to buy under certain conditions. Those clauses were triggered during the season, resulting in the Cherries completing a permanent transfer worth around £15 million.
He quickly became an important member of Andoni Iraola's squad, making 32 appearances in all competitions during a memorable campaign that saw Bournemouth qualify for European football for the first time in the club's history.
Comfortable at right-back while also capable of playing further forward, Jimenez's technical quality and attacking instincts made him a useful option throughout the season. One of his standout moments came when he scored his first Bournemouth goal in the dramatic 3-2 Premier League victory over Liverpool.
Jimenez netting against Liverpool - Wikimedia CommonsHowever, the latter stages of his campaign were overshadowed by an off-field issue after social media posts linked to the defender surfaced online. Bournemouth responded swiftly, confirming Jimenez would not travel with the squad for their subsequent Premier League fixture against Fulham while the club investigated the matter.
At the time, then-head coach Andoni Iraola stressed that the club needed to establish the full facts before reaching any conclusions, and Jimenez's absence meant his season ended on a disappointing note after what had largely been a breakthrough year in England.
Despite that setback, on the pitch - his reputation as one of Europe's most promising young full-backs remains intact. Having previously progressed through Real Madrid's academy before moving to Milan, Jimenez already possesses experience in both Serie A and the Premier League despite still being only 20 years old.
Now, Fiorentina are hoping to reignite his development back in Italy. The loan structure gives the Viola the opportunity to assess Jimenez over the course of the 2026/27 season before deciding whether to activate the €20 million option to buy.
For Bournemouth, the move helps to quell the conjecture about the player's future, whilst simultaneously allowing a talented young defender to gain regular first-team football while also leaving open the possibility of recouping a significant profit should Fiorentina decide to make the deal permanent next summer.
