Enes Ünal Leaves Bournemouth for Getafe on Free Transfer

Enes Ünal has ended his Bournemouth stint and returned to familiar ground at Getafe, leaving the Premier League side on a free transfer.

The Turkey international, 29, rejoins the Spanish club with Bournemouth inserting protection into the deal. The Cherries could bank up to £1.3m in bonuses and have secured a 20% sell-on clause for any future move.

Ünal’s time on the south coast never truly caught fire. Injuries disrupted his rhythm and limited his impact, and he departs with 58 appearances and five goals in all competitions. For a player brought in to add punch to the attack, the numbers tell a story of a spell that never quite matched the early promise.

He first arrived at Bournemouth on loan from Getafe in January 2024 and did enough in flashes for the club to commit around £13m to make the transfer permanent later that year. The expectation was that a fully fit Ünal would become a key part of Andoni Iraola’s evolving side.

Instead, fitness issues and the club’s shifting priorities pushed him towards the exit as Bournemouth looked to trim their wage bill and reshape the squad.

In a statement, the club stressed his influence behind the scenes as much as on the pitch, describing Ünal as “a popular figure within the squad” and noting he had made “a positive contribution both on and off the pitch during his time with the Cherries.” Bournemouth added that they “would like to thank Enes for his efforts during his time with the club and wish him every success for the future.”

For Getafe, it is a reunion with a forward who previously led their line and knows La Liga inside out. For Ünal, it is a chance to reset his career in a league where he has already proved he can score consistently.

Bournemouth, meanwhile, are edging towards the end of their summer business and turning their attention to the next departure. The club are working on a move that would see full-back Max Aarons leave, another sign that the squad that started last season will look very different by the time this one kicks off.