DEFENSIVE duo Lloyd Kelly and Chris Mepham are looking forward to playing with new signing Marcos Senesi – with both centre-backs enthusing about the quality of the Argentine international.

Senesi became Cherries’ fifth signing of the summer when he arrived from Dutch side Feyenoord for a reported €15 million, bolstering a threadbare back three that had previously seen midfielder Jefferson Lerma deployed as a central-defender.

The 25-year-old came off the bench on Saturday against Manchester City to make his Cherries debut, with his new head coach Scott Parker labelling his cameo as “exceptional”.

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Senesi’s fellow centre-backs similarly held praise for their new teammate, with club captain Kelly telling the Daily Echo: “He's come in and settled in well.

“Of course, everyone knows what quality he has, what he brings to the squad and he'll get the opportunity to show that, 100 per cent.

“You’ve seen that when he did come on (against City), that he's comfortable on the ball, he's willing to find passes, and it's just another person that we can rely on, as a squad.”

Mepham was also impressed by the former San Lorenzo man, sharing: “He looks very good. Left-footed, lovely on the ball.

“I think you saw that when he came on (Saturday). Composure in certain moments to play out from the back, and I think we’re going to need that this year.

“Personality to get on the ball and be brave in certain moments.

“I thought at 3-0 down, it’s important that we try and express ourselves in our own way and I thought we tried to get on the ball, especially in the second half. I think that’s going to be important going forward.”

With the switch to three at the back and the arrival of Senesi, there has been some discussion to where the new signing will play in the back three.

Skipper Kelly seemed to hint he will operate in the middle of the defence.

Kelly, who is also left-footed, believes having a fellow leftie in the team will take some getting used to.

He mentioned: “Personally, it's different to playing with a right-footer in the middle of a back three, of course, because most of the time you want to open out on the right foot.

“So maybe where the majority of the play is coming down the right-hand side, with Marcos in the middle, that it may come down the left-hand side a little bit more.

“But saying that, we'll just have to see what happens.”

Senesi will be hoping for his first Premier League start this weekend, when Arsenal visit the Vitality Stadium (kick-off 5:30pm).