Bournemouth continued to add to their squad as they prepare for their first season in the Premier League, completing the signing of 22-year-old full-back Tyrone Mings, from Ipswich Town, for £8million.
The fee is a transfer record for Bournemouth, and they are believed to have beat off competition from Newcastle United, Aston Villa and West Bromwich Albion for the signature of Mings. It is understood that former Aberdeen winger Ryan Fraser will move in the opposite direction on loan as part of the deal.
Ipswich have definitely made a sizeable return on their initial investment
Mings was signed by Ipswich for £10,000 from non-league Cheltenham Town in December 2012. Bournemouth’s willingness to meet Ipswich's £8million valuation of Mings is what is believed to have propelled them to the front of the queue for his signature.
Mings, who is 6ft 5in and blessed with a good left foot, is a fine athlete that blossomed under Mick McCarthy after his move to Portman Road. The £10,000 that Ipswich paid for him must go down as one of their best investments in recent years.
It is believed that Mings was attracting the attention of some the Premier League big-boys, with Arsenal and Chelsea both said to have been watching him, his father Adie even works as a scout at Chelsea.
Another Premier League side, Crystal Palace, had a £3million bid for Mings rejected last September and with every performance he put in for Championship side Ipswich, his value continued to rise. He helped Ipswich reach the play-offs, where they were beaten by East Anglian rivals Norwich City.
The Good Samaritan
As well as earning his reputation on the football pitch, Mings has also earned the reputation of a Good Samaritan off it during his time at Portman Road. In March 2013, the 22-year-old exchanged tweets with an Ipswich supporter who couldn't attend their home match against Bolton Wanderers, because he was “skint”. Mings arranged for some complimentary tickets for the fan collect from the Portman Road ticket office.
When his squad number was changed from No.15 to No.3 in the summer of 2014, he paid for some replacement replica shirts for the supporters that were frustrated with the number change - after they had already bought their replicas shirts with his original number.