Bournemouth smash club transfer record with £2.5m move for South Africa striker Rantie (that's far more than Arsenal have spent this summer!)

AFC Bournemouth have smashed their transfer record with an estimated £2.5million move for Malmo striker Tokelo Rantie.

The 22-year-old has signed a four-year contract with the Cherries and joins from the Swedish outfit where he scored five goals in 16 appearances.

Tokelo has 12 international caps for South Africa and follows Norwich's Andrew Surman and Reading's Ian Harte to the seaside club this summer.

Quarter final: Tokelo Rantie of South Africa and Adama Tamboura of Mali during the 2013 African Cup of Nations

The fee is nearly three times the club's previous transfer record, which stood at £800,000 for Matt Tubbs in 2012.

Bournemouth are believed to have had two previous bids turned down for Tokelo but their third offer was too good to refuse.

Celtic and Middlesbrough were also interested in the forward, who has taken Bournemouth's summer spending beyond that of Arsenal.

Bournemouth's assistant manager, Jason Tindall, told the club website: 'I imagine he will be unknown to people in England, but he is a very exciting prospect and a fantastic talent.



'He's a full international as well and I'm sure he will have the fans on the edge of their seats. He's very dynamic, skilful and intelligent, so we are delighted with the signing of Tokelo.

'He was sought after across Europe and a number of teams enquired about him and put offers into Malmo, so it is testament to the football club that we have managed to secure his services with the amount of competition that we had.'

