Bournemouth set for £95m double blow on eve of Man City clash as rivals look on
Bournemouth have had an excellent season but they have suffered a double blow on the eve of their trip to Manchester
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Manchester City will welcome Bournemouth to the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday evening looking to move back in to the top five ahead of the final weekend of the season.
Finishing in the top five will be enough to secure Champions League football next season but Pep Guardiola's side fell down to sixth in the table on Friday after Chelsea and Aston Villa both secured wins.
City must bounce back from the heartbreak of losing Saturday's FA Cup final to Crystal Palace but they know a draw or a win against the Cherries will lift them up to third and ensure their fate is in their own hands when they travel to Fulham for the final game of the season on Sunday.
Bournemouth can still finish in eighth, and there is still a small chance that would secure UEFA Conference League football next season, but Chelsea would have to finish in seventh place and then win the Conference League final against Real Betis next week to move them into the Europa League.
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Their motivation is clear but after a brilliant season under Andoni Iraola, the threat of the team being ripped apart in the summer as Europe's biggest clubs circle for their players has been looming all season.
And that is already disrupting the Cherries' plans, with two of their star defenders on the verge of securing moves away from the Vitality Stadium.
Real Madrid confirmed the signing of Dean Huijsen over the weekend for £50million with the Spanish international to join his new club next month ahead of the Club World Cup.
And now reports are suggesting Liverpool are closing in on a move for Milos Kerkez, with Bournemouth said to have put a £45million price tag on the Hungarian international.
Ahead of a huge game, it is not the most ideal preparation for Bournemouth and that will concern City's rivals in the race to secure Champions League football.
Newcastle, Chelsea, Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest will watch on nervously on Tuesday evening to see just how much of an affect it has had on Bournemouth's preparations.
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