Bournemouth transfer news: Cherries 'enquire' over move for Serie A defender

Bournemouth have reportedly enquired about a potential move for Lazio defender Mario Gila.

The Cherries have already lost one centre-back this summer having sold Dean Huijsen to Real Madrid for £50m.

They are now facing a battle to retain the services of Ilya Zabarnyi, who is wanted by Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain.

If Zabarnyi were to depart, Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola would be left with Marcos Senesi and James Hill as his main two central-defensive options.

The Cherries do have the inexperienced duo of Matai Akinmboni and Max Kinsey, but the pair are unlikely to be regular starters for the 2025-26 season.

Bournemouth enquire over Gila move

Ideally, Bournemouth need to bolster their backline before they kick off their Premier League campaign against Liverpool on August 15.

According to Sky Sports News, the Cherries are considering Lazio's Gila as a possible candidate to strengthen their defence.

The report claims that the South-coast side have made an enquiry to Lazio over the possibility of a transfer for the former Spain Under-21 international.

Bournemouth's pursuit is described as an 'ambitious' one, suggesting that they may have their work cut out to pull off the signing.

Gila has two years left to run on the five-year deal he signed when he joined Lazio in the summer of 2022.

Who is Mario Gila?

The 24-year-old spent around four years with Spanish giants Real Madrid, where he made 73 competitive appearances for the club's B team.

However, he was unable to establish himself in the first-team setup, featuring in just two senior games before he completed a move to Lazio in 2022.

Gila has gone on to play 84 competitive games for the Italian side, including 31 starts in 32 Serie A matches in the 2024-25 campaign, demonstrating the defender's importance to the club. 

Lazio are keen to retain Gila's services for next season and are understood to be looking to ward off any transfer interest by agreeing a new contract.