London // Talented teenage midfielder Lewis Cook will get a chance to shine in the Premier League after Bournemouth signed him from fallen English giants Leeds United on Friday.
The 19-year-old -- the Football League Young Player of the Year last season after impressing for the struggling second-tier outfit -- signed a four-year contract for an undisclosed fee.
His signing is due reward for the Cherries’ persistence -- they failed with a bid in the January transfer window -- and it is another blow to controversial Leeds owner Massimo Cellino, who had held talks with Cook’s agent about a new contract.
“We’re pleased to be bringing one of the country’s brightest prospects to the club,” Bournemouth chief executive Neill Blake told the club website.
“Lewis has impressed since earning his spot in the Leeds United first team and we feel that he can continue his rapid progress under the tutelage of Eddie (Howe) and Jason (Tindall).
“He’s represented England at youth level and won plenty of individual awards last season, we’re excited to see him flourish further at Vitality Stadium over the next four years.”
Cook, who was a member of the England Under-17 side that won the European Championship in 2014, played 85 times for Leeds in his first two seasons as a professional.
Cook is Bournemouth’s third signing of the close season as they seek to retain their Premier League status, which they did comfortably last term having been marked down as favourites to be relegated.
Cook joins Emerson Hyndman and Lys Mousset, while the club have also had a £15 million (17.5m euros, $19m) bid accepted by Liverpool for winger Jordan Ibe.
Striker Cisse leaves Newcastle for China
Senegalese international striker Papiss Cisse became the latest high-profile player to quit Europe for China on Saturday, signing for Shandong Luneng from Championship side Newcastle United.
The 31-year-old, who scored 44 goals in 131 appearances for the Magpies in four-and-a-half years, signed for the Chinese Super League side for an undisclosed fee, the clubs said.
Cisse, whose 22 goals for Bundesliga side Freiburg in the 2010/2011 campaign is a record for an African player in the German elite league, joins Brazilian duo Hulk and Ramires, as well as Colombian marksman Jackson Martinez, in swapping European top-level football for the cash-rich Chinese league.
He is unlikely to be the last -- leading Chinese sports event organiser Eric Gao said on a recent visit to London that Beijing Guoan have a wish list of several unspecified Manchester City players and money was no barrier to the clubs.
“In terms of the Premier League, there are no limits. Chinese clubs will pay players two or three times more than they are at present,” said Gao, whose company organised a forthcoming tournament in China which will see Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho pit their wits against each other for the first time as Manchester City and Manchester United managers.
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