The Vitality Stadium is entering a new era.
As the days tick by and Bill Foley’s takeover reaches its final stages, an appetite for ambition is as palpable as the many tasks that must be completed to ensure that Bournemouth’s magical journey to the summit of English football this season is not in vain.
Both in the short and long-term, the club’s prospective new owner arrives on the south coast with a hefty in-tray of assignments — all interconnected and with their own degree of importance.
Here, The Athletic details the key items on Foley’s to-do list…
GO DEEPERFoley reaches £120m verbal agreement to buy Bournemouth
Find the right manager
Bournemouth’s plan is to wait for the takeover to be completed officially before appointing a head coach to replace Scott Parker. With the Premier League Owners’ and Directors’ Test among the final hurdles, the club expect the deal for Foley to assume control to be sealed by around November.
Foley keeps Foley informed of the shortlist of possible new managers. Roberto De Zerbi was an option on the list before he moved to Brighton. However, Bournemouth is still gathering details on other candidates that Foley and his team can assess.
While the club’s preference is to make an external appointment, Gary O’Neil’s steady hand after Parker’s season began with a turbulent startClub has noted it.
