Bournemouth sign Chelsea's Atsu on loan

Bournemouth have signed Ghana winger Christian Atsu on a season-long loan from Chelsea, the newly-promoted Premier League club confirmed on Friday. Atsu had previously been loaned out to Vitesse Arnhem and Everton after failing to break into the Chelsea first team since his transfer from Porto and will now continue his development at Dean Court next season. The 23-year-old has won nearly 40 caps for Ghana and was named player of the tournament at this year's African Cup of Nations. Atsu will be ineligible to face Premier League champions Chelsea next season, but Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe believes the signing will play a major role in his team's bid to establish themselves in the top-flight. "Although he is a younger player, he is a player with outstanding experience when you look at the career he has had," Howe told Cherries Player. "He has had a lot thrown at him - Porto, Vitesse, Chelsea, on the international stage - and he's done very well on the international stage as well. "We are loaning a player of huge potential, again we had to fight off several other Premier League clubs to get him, so we are very, very pleased."