Enes Unal returns to Getafe as Bournemouth trim the wage bill
Enes Unal is heading back to Getafe. The 29-year-old Turkey striker has left Bournemouth on a free transfer to rejoin the La Liga club where he spent five years before his move to England, agreeing a three-year deal in Spain (Turkiye Today).
The deal is not entirely free for Getafe. Bournemouth can receive up to £1.3 million in bonus payments plus 20% of any future sale of the player (BBC Sport).
Unal arrived at the Vitality Stadium in January 2024 on loan from Getafe for the remainder of that season, with an obligation to make the move permanent. Bournemouth did so later in 2024 for around £13 million (BBC Sport; AFC Bournemouth). He went on to make 58 appearances and score five goals, a return hampered by injuries throughout his time on the south coast.
Bournemouth were keen to reduce their wage bill, and Unal's departure forms part of that effort. The club are also working on a move that would allow full-back Max Aarons to leave (BBC Sport).
For Unal, the transfer brings a sense of a circle closing. He was a fixture at Getafe from 2020, scoring regularly in La Liga — Spain's top flight — and earning the move to the Premier League on the back of that form. Now he returns to familiar surroundings on a long contract, with a medical expected in Spain before the deal is formally completed (Turkiye Today).
Five goals in 58 appearances is a modest return for a striker who cost Bournemouth £13 million, and the injuries tell a fair portion of that story. But the structured sell-on — bonuses plus a percentage of any next sale — means Bournemouth have not simply absorbed the full loss. For a club that operates carefully in the transfer market, that matters.
The broader picture at Bournemouth is one of a squad being reshaped. Aarons, a 24-year-old right-back who joined from Norwich City in 2023, could be the next departure as the club look to trim wages ahead of the new season.
For Getafe, bringing back a player who knows the club, the league and the manager's system is a low-risk way to add a proven striker. For Unal, it is a chance to rebuild in a place where he has already succeeded.
