Bournemouth signs Begovic from Chelsea for reported £10M fee

Asmir Begovic is heading back to Vitality Stadium next season as the backup goalkeeper at Chelsea has been sold to Bournemouth, the two clubs confirmed Tuesday. Begovic, who played for the Cherries in 2007, leaves the Blues for a reported fee of £10 million according to Sky Sports.

Bournemouth added that Begovic joined on a "long-term" deal, though it did not disclose the fee or length of the contract.

"AFC Bournemouth is an exciting, ambitious club which has everything in place for a very bright future," Begovic told the Cherries' website.

"Being part of a title-winning team at Chelsea was amazing but I felt now was the right time to move on because I want to be playing regular football.

"I am coming into an important part of my career and I want to show people what I am capable of."

The Bosnia and Herzegovina international returns to Dean Court having made eight previous appearances for Bournemouth while on loan from Portsmouth. In the years since, Begovic joined Stoke City before making the swap to Stamford Bridge in 2015.

However, he found a starting role hard to come by with the Blues, often used as the second choice behind Thibaut Courtois. As a result, Begovic played just 33 times for Chelsea, including a pair of Premier League appearances this past season.

The 29-year-old will join Eddie Howe's side with significantly greater opportunities to play, as the club's current shot-stopper is 37-year-old Artur Boruc.

"When I spoke to Eddie Howe I knew AFC Bournemouth was the right club for me and I want to bring my experience to the squad, both on and off the pitch," Begovic said.

"I'm really excited to be part of the journey here and hope I can help take the club to another level."