Di Gregorio Embraces Ambitious Bournemouth After Juventus Departure

Michele Di Gregorio has drawn a hard line under his Juventus chapter. A move to AFC Bournemouth, a clean slate in the Premier League – and a scrub of almost every black-and-white trace from his social media.

The 28-year-old goalkeeper has joined Bournemouth on a season-long loan with an option to buy, a deal that could reach around €14m including bonuses. After two turbulent seasons in Turin, he sounded relieved as much as excited.

“I feel good, I feel happy, I'm very pleased to be here,” he said in his first interview with the club.

What sold him? Not the sea air, but the sense of direction.

“I felt the club's strong desire to bring me here and I felt the club's ambition to continue growing and achieving great things,” he explained. “It's the first European experience for this club and I want to help out and hope to have a fantastic season.”

For Bournemouth, about to step into European competition for the first time, this is a statement in goal. For Di Gregorio, it is a restart in what he still views as the sport’s top arena.

“The Premier League is definitely the best league in the world. For me, it's an honour to be here and play in it and to be involved in matches at the highest level, I can't wait to get started.”

Kelly’s seal of approval

Before committing to the south coast, Di Gregorio did his homework. He turned to a familiar face who has walked the same path in reverse.

“I spoke with (Lloyd) Kelly, I asked him because he'd already been here and he spoke very well of the club, the city and the life here,” the Italian said of his former Juventus teammate, who spent five years at Bournemouth before moving to Serie A. “He recommended this move to me.”

The endorsement went beyond lifestyle.

“I also had the chance to speak with him about the Premier League and he told me it's a fantastic league where the games are always open and it's truly the best in the world.”

That openness will test any goalkeeper. Di Gregorio sounds ready to embrace it.

Backing himself after a bruising spell

His final months at Juventus were harshly judged. Errors crept in, performances wobbled, and many supporters now argue the club has “upgraded” after bringing in Guglielmo Vicario from Tottenham Hotspur on a similar loan-with-option arrangement.

Di Gregorio, though, prefers to focus on what those two years gave him.

“Being at Juventus over the last two years allowed me to grow to a European level having played in the Champions League for the last two years,” he said. “I believe that will serve me well and help me to help the team.”

He does not shy away from assessing his own game.

“I believe I'm a very strong, reactive goalkeeper. Being here and testing myself in this league where there are lots of top goalkeepers will help further my development.”

That development now belongs to Bournemouth. Juventus have already moved on with Vicario. Di Gregorio has moved on too – right down to the erased photos and stripped bios.

The next judgment will not come from a social media feed, but from what he does when the first Premier League shot whistles towards his new goal.