AFC Bournemouth Academy 2025–26 season showcasing progress along the EPPP development pathway for youth players.
- Academy Manager: Sam Gisborne
- Under 21 Head Coach: Alan Connell
- Under-18 Lead Coach: James Lowy
AFC Bournemouth Retained List 2025
View the complete list of AFC Bournemouth players who have been retained, released, or have returned to their parent clubs following loan spells.
Contract Offers
- Mack Allan
- Ashley Clarke
- Karlos Gregory
- Ollie Morgan
- Remy Rees-Dottin
- Jonny Stuttle
- Harold William
AFC Bournemouth Scholars 2025/26
- Jake Drewett
- Dane Ndimukum
- Eugene Nyarko
- Joe Spence
- Tom Stuckey
- Will Upstell
- Leyland Waite
- Jeffery Aibangbee
- Kobaro Akaunu
- Jalil Conteh
- Danny Dixon
- Zach Sutton
- Harry Webb
AFC Bournemouth Academy Players On Loan 2025/26
Young players on loan
- Jonny Stuttle (Forward) Walsall – Recalled due to injury
- Archie Harris (Defender) Eastleigh
- Max Kinsey (Defender) Truro City
- Will Upstell (Goalkeeper) New Milton Town
- Dany Dixon (Goalkeeper) New Milton Town
- Mack Allan (Goalkeeper) Plymouth Parkway
- Ashley Clarke (Forward) AFC Totton
- Karlos Gregory (Midfielder) Sholing
- Ben Winterburn (Midfielder) Barnet
- Noa Boutin (Defender) Sutton
- Dominic Sadi (Midfielder) FK Novi Pazar
- Ollie Morgan (Defender) Salisbury
- Michael Dacosta Gonzalez (Forward) Hartlepool
- Kai Crampton (Goalkeeper) Wimborne Town
- Charlie Osborne (Midfielder) Totton; Torquay United
AFC Bournemouth Academy Products in the First Team 2025/26
- Dominic Sadi (Midfielder) #49
- Remy Rees-Dottin (Forward) #50
- Dacosta Gonzalez (Forward) #51
- Charlie Stevens (Midfielder) #53
Academy International Players 2025/26
- Zac Christie (Midfielder) England U16
- Zach Sutton (Defender) Northern Ireland U19
- Charlie Stevens (Midfielder) Wales U19
- Ade Solanke (Defender) Ireland U19
- Jalil Conteh (Defender) Algeria U20
- Callan Mckenna (Goalkeeper) Scotland U21
- Archie Harris (Defender) Wales U21
Academy Competitions
U17 Professional Development League Cup
The U17 Professional Development League Cup is an English youth football tournament created for players aged 17 and under.
U17 PDL Cup Group Stage
AFC Bournemouth U17 will play against Under-17 teams from Swindon Town, Exeter City and Newport County.
- AFC Bournemouth U17 won at home against Swindon Town U17 (6 – 1)
- AFC Bournemouth U17 won at home against Exeter City U17 (4 – 2)
- AFC Bournemouth U17 won away against Newport County U17 (0 – 7)
Round of 16
- AFC Bournemouth U17 lost away against Bristol Rovers U17 (4 – 2)
U18 Professional Development League
The Under-18 Professional Development League is a leading English youth competition for Category Two academies, comprising 20 teams split into North and South regional divisions.
It delivers a high-level development pathway for promising players, combining league competition with a national play-off system.
Below are the team standings at the winter break, marking roughly the halfway point of the season.
U18 Professional Development League Cup
Established for the 2021/22 season, the Professional Development League Cup features 32 teams divided into eight groups of four.
The group winners advance to the knockout stages.
U18 Professional Development League Cup Group Stage
AFC Bournemouth U18 are drawn in Group A against under-18 teams: Cheltenham Town, Plymouth Argyle and Portsmouth.
Fixtures Schedule (Group A)
- Match Round 1 (Tuesday 26 August 2025) AFC Bournemouth v Cheltenham Town
- Match Round 2 (Saturday 4 October 2025) Plymouth Argyle v AFC Bournemouth
- Match Round 3 (Saturday 22 November 2025) AFC Bournemouth v Portsmouth
- AFC Bournemouth U18 lost at home against Cheltenham Town U18 (1 – 3)
- AFC Bournemouth U18 lost away against Plymouth Argyle U18 (2 – 1)
- AFC Bournemouth U18 drew at home against Portsmouth U18 (3 – 3)
FA Youth Cup
Third Round Proper
AFC Bournemouth U18 have been drawn away against West Bromwich Albion U18
- AFC Bournemouth U18 lost away against West Bromwich Albion U18 (4 – 3)
- Joe Spence
- Eugene Nyarko
- Leyland Waite
Professional Development League
Professional Development League 2—is England’s main youth competition for Category Two academies. It sits just below Premier League 2, providing Under-21 players with a key pathway toward first-team football.
The league is split into regional North and South divisions, with play-offs determining the national champion, and it offers a highly competitive platform for developing top young talent.
Below are the team standings at the winter break, marking roughly the halfway point of the season.
U21 Premier League Cup
The Premier League Cup was introduced in the 2013/14 season to enhance competition during the Professional Development Phase.
It added a knockout tournament alongside the regular league schedule. For the 2024/25 season, the format features nine groups.
The top team from each group automatically qualifies for the knockout stage, along with the seven best second-placed teams.
U21 Premier League Cup Group Stage
Bournemouth U21 are drawn in Group A against under 21 teams from Birmingham City, Hull City and Reading.
- AFC Bournemouth U21 lost away against Reading U21 (2 – 1)
- Jonny Day
- AFC Bournemouth U21 won at home against Hull City U21 (4 – 1)
- Michael Dacosta Gonzalez
- Charlie Stevens
- Ethan Sills
- Koby Mottoh
- AFC Bournemouth U21 drew away against Birmingham City U21 (2 – 2)
- Michael Dacosta Gonzalez
- Charlie Stevens
- AFC Bournemouth U21 won away against Hull City U21 (3 – 4)
- Adam Howard (OG)
- Harold William
- Michael Dacosta Gonzalez (2)
- AFC Bournemouth U21 drew at home against Birmingham City U21 (2 – 2)
- Michael Dacosta Gonzalez
- Dane Ndimukum
- AFB Bournemouth U21 won at home against Reading U21 (2 – 0)
- Eugene Nyarko (2)
Round of 16
- AFC Bournemouth U21 won away against Sheffield United U21 (1 – 2)
- Eugene Nyarko (2)
Quarter Final
- AFC Bournemouth U21 lost at home against West Bromwich Albion U21 (4 – 5)
- Kobby Mottoh
- Michael Dacosta Gonzalez
- Remy Rees-Dottin
- Eugene Nyarko
Servio Men’s Hampshire Senior Cup
Round of 32
- AFC Bournemouth U21 lost away against Hamble Club (2 – 2) (2 – 1 after Pens)
- Dom Sadi
- Jonny Day
AFC Bournemouth Academy News
7th July 2025
Five players from the club’s academy have signed new contracts.
Midfielder Karlos Gregory, defender Archie Harris, and winger Remy Rees-Dottin have all committed to fresh deals.
Meanwhile, midfielders Charlie Stevens and Malachi Ogunleye have also agreed new terms after making the step up from the under-18s to the development squad.
26th August 2025
20 -year-old striker Daniel Adu-Adjei has departed the Cherries to complete a permanent move to Croatian club Rijeka.
12th November 2025
Promising 16-year-old midfielder Harry Webb has signed his first professional contract with the Cherries after impressing with both the under-18s and development squad.
18th December 2025
AFC Bournemouth U18s’ FA Youth Cup journey came to an end in the third round with a 4-3 defeat to West Bromwich Albion U18s.
22nd December 2025
Jonny Day has put pen to paper on a new contract with AFC Bournemouth. The 17-year-old forward has progressed through the academy, having spent the last decade with the club.
23rd December 2025
AFC Bournemouth’s development squad have booked their place in the last 16 of this season’s Premier League Cup.
The Cherries will progress as runners-up in Group A, finishing behind group winners Reading.
5th January 2025
Young winger Jalil Conteh has put pen to paper on his first professional contract with the club.
The 17-year-old has committed his future with the Cherries until at least the summer of 2028.
15th January 2026
Young left-back Ade Solanke has joined the club on a long-term deal from Ligue 1 side FC Lorient.
The Republic of Ireland youth international, who signed on his 18th birthday, has featured for Lorient’s U19s and reserves and has 31 caps for Ireland from U15 to U18, including the FIFA U17 World Cup in Qatar.
7th February 2026
Balraj Landa has completed a permanent switch from AFC Bournemouth to Salisbury.
The forward leaves the Cherries after joining the development squad from Eastleigh’s academy in 2023.
1st May 2026
Promising young talent Harold William has signed a new long-term deal with the club as he continues his development on the south coast.
William has made excellent progress since joining the Cherries from Charlton Athletic as a scholar in the summer of 2023.
5th May 2026
The AFC Bournemouth Development Squad’s competitive campaign has come to an end following a 4-1 defeat to Huddersfield Town in the quarter-finals of the Professional Development League / Premier League 2 Play-Offs.
15th February 2026
22-year-old Dominic Sadi has made a permanent move to FK Novi Pazar in the Serbian SuperLiga after a successful loan spell with the club earlier this season.
11th May 2026
Young defender Alfie Merritt has signed his first professional deal with the club.
The 17-year-old left-back has continued to develop impressively within the Cherries’ academy system.
14th May 2026
Charlie Stevens has signed a new deal with the club.
The Poole-born midfielder has enjoyed an impressive season with the development squad following the signing of his first professional contract last summer.
15th May 2026
AFC Bournemouth academy midfielder Ethan Sills has signed his first professional contract.
Fellow academy prospect Ameer Ali has also put pen to paper on his first professional deal.
The 17-year-old centre-back is the latest young talent to commit his future to the Cherries.
21st May 2026
Academy Player of the Year Malcom Dacosta Gonzalez has signed a new contract with the club.
The central midfielder is rewarded for an outstanding 2025/26 campaign, continuing his impressive development through the Cherries’ academy.
26th June 2026
George Chubinidze has signed his first professional contract with the club.
The 18-year-old wide midfielder has come through the Cherries’ academy, having joined the club as a 12-year-old in 2020.