CHERRIES chief executive Neill Blake says the club have been “monitoring for a number of years” midfielder Romain Faivre.

The Frenchman completed his move to Cherries today, joining from Lyon for £12.8million.

He is understood to have signed a five-year contract, the first of which will be spent on loan at FC Lorient.

Faivre, who turns 25 tomorrow, moved from Monaco to Brest in 2020, before a switch to Lyon 19 months later.

The former France under-21 international then impressed during a 17-game loan spell at Lorient during last season.

“It’s great for the club to have secured such a talent in Romain,” said Blake.

“He’s a player we’ve been monitoring for a number of years since his move to Brest, and we were particularly impressed with his progress while on loan at Lorient.

“We wish him all the best for the coming season and look forward to seeing him continue his development.”