NEW Cherries striker Evanilson will be ‘very important’ for the club this season, according to Andoni Iraola.

The AFC Bournemouth boss told the media after Cherries drew to Nottingham Forest he felt the signing was a great one for the club, but that he wasn’t able to be registered in time to play at the City Ground on Saturday.

The Brazilian was signed from FC Porto for a club record fee of an initial £31.7million, which could rise to £40.2m after potential add-ons.

He said: “Today I think probably we didn’t start with a specific number 9.

“We tried different with Antoine, with Sini, with Justin but we couldn’t finish the deal with Evanilson yesterday on time.

“I hope he can train normally this full week and for sure he will be someone that we hope will be very important this season.”

(Image: AFC Bournemouth)

Reflecting on replacing talisman Dominic Solanke, who left the club to join Tottenham Hotspur for an initial £55m, which could rise to £65m, Iraola said it would be tough, but that the club had done ‘really well’.

“I think we are not going to hide that Dom Solanke was pivotal for us,” he said.

“He was involved in a lot of our offensive play last season but I think that the club didn’t have an easy job. You never want to lose probably your best player.

“I think they did really well, they’ve been preparing for the situation. Evanilson for me is a great signing.

“A different skillset, probably, it’s always impossible to sign exactly the same profile of player, but for someone that is still very young, he has three years playing for Porto, playing European games, he has even played the first games with his national team, that is Brazil.

“It is not easy to play with Brazil.

“So, I hope he gives us the level we know he has.”

Evanilson joins Julian Araujo, Alex Paulsen, Daniel Jebbison and Dean Huijsen in signing for Cherries this summer.

The Brazilian scored 25 goals in 42 appearances for Porto last season, with four coming in the Champions League, before the Portuguese side was knocked out by Arsenal.

He will wear the number nine shirt for Cherries, which was left vacant when Solanke left for Spurs.

When the striker was announced by the club, chief executive Neill Blake said Cherries were ‘delighted’ to sign a player with ‘immense pedigree’, adding that the signing signalled the club’s ambition and intent.

Evanilson looks set to make his first Cherries appearance when the club hosts Eddie Howe’s Newcastle at the Vitality Stadium on Sunday, August 25.