Emerson Hyndman has made the leap to the English Premier League.
The 20-year-old US youth international has joined AFC Bournemouth on a free transfer, the club announced on Friday, signing a four-year contract with the Cherries. He is Bournemouth's first acquisition of the summer transfer window.
“We've moved swiftly in the window to secure Emerson’s signature and we are delighted to have finalized the deal to bring such a promising young talent to AFC Bournemouth,” said chief executive Neill Blake in a club statement.
“Emerson is a highly rated young player and already boasts international experience, so will be a welcome addition.”
One of the smallest clubs in the Premiership, Bournemouth wowed observers by surviving their first-ever campaign in the top flight last season. Defying widespread predictions of relegation, the Cherries knocked off heavyweights like Chelsea and Manchester United and drew both league matches vs. eventual champions Leicester City, finishing in 16th place.
Hyndman, 20, departs Fulham FC after five years at the club, having risen through the London side's youth system after relocating from Texas as an adolescent. A central midfielder with a cultured passing range, he typically plays in a box-to-box or deep-lying playmaker role.
The grandson of former FC Dallas coach Schellas Hyndman, Hyndman captained the US U-20 national team at their World Cup last year and was a central member of the US U-23 squad that fell just short of Olympic qualification this spring. He made his senior debut as a substitute in a friendly vs. the Czech Republic in September 2014.
