Phoenix star's move to English Premier League confirmed

By Michael Burgess

Wellington Phoenix goalkeeper Alex Paulsen is moving into a new footballing stratosphere.

As reported by the Herald on Saturday, Paulsen has signed a deal with English Premier League club AFC Bournemouth, who have been tracking the 21-year-old for some time. The transfer was confirmed by the Phoenix today.

It is the biggest outgoing transfer in Phoenix history, eclipsing Sarpreet Singh’s move to German giants Bayern Munich in 2019.

“I’m humbled to be considered worthy of signing with A.F.C. Bournemouth in the Premier League,” Paulsen said.

“It means the world to me, my family and to my friends to be offered an opportunity to play in the best league on the planet, which most aspiring young footballers only dream of.

“Sarpreet, Libby Cacace and Ben Waine have laid the stepping stones for young New Zealand footballers like myself to dream big and be like ‘the world is our oyster’.”

It’s believed there have also been advanced discussions with another club, along with interest from at least two other Premier League outfits including Liverpool. Negotiations concluded in the last few days before Paulsen made his final decision.

It has been a heady few weeks for the All Whites goalkeeper, off the back of his breakout A-League season, where he was a key figure in the Phoenix’s historic second-place regular-season finish. It’s believed the Wellington club fielded inquiries from Chelsea, while there have also been discussions with a Belgian club.

While his talent is obvious, Paulsen is seen as a long-term investment, given goalkeepers don’t tend to reach their peak until their late 20s and can play well into their 30s.

According to figures reported by Sky Sports UK, Bournemouth’s offer was in the region of £850,000 ($1.77 million) but could have risen to as much as £2m, depending on performances and appearances. The contract is believed to be a three-year deal.

While the Phoenix lose a few player it’s still a big win for the club being the biggest transfer in Phoenix history. Nathan Burns’ move to FC Tokyo in 2015 was lucrative for the Wellington club, then exceeded by the price paid for Sarpreet Singh by Bayern Munich in 2019, which was between $800,000 and $1m. Belgian club Sint-Truidense forked out around $750,000 for Liberato Cacace in 2020, who has since moved to Serie A club Empoli.

Paulsen had to bide his time behind Oli Sail and didn’t make a single league appearance in the 2022-2023 season, before his breakthrough in the recently completed campaign. He kept 12 clean sheets and was part of a defence that only conceded 26 goals across the regular season, the least in the competition.

According to A-League statistics, the Phoenix rearguard also defied a significant expected goals disadvantage, adding up to 13 more XG across the season. Those are the kind of numbers that turn heads and must have been noted by Bournemouth’s global scouting and statistical analysis network.

It’s believed the interest in Paulsen came directly from Bournemouth’s football department, rather than via Auckland FC, who are the most recent addition to American billionaire Bill Foley’s stable of clubs.

Liverpool’s awareness of Paulsen may have come from recently appointed sporting director Richard Hughes. Hughes had served as Bournemouth’s first-team technical director since 2016 but announced in March he would leave at the end of this season.

It is easy to see why Paulsen holds appeal. He is athletic, a strong shot-stopper and a commanding presence on crosses. He has also demonstrated superb anticipation and is comfortable playing out from the back off both feet.

Paulsen is expected to link up with Bournemouth in July. It’s not yet known how the signing will impact his potential appearance at the Paris Olympics next month with the Oly Whites.

One scenario could see Paulsen complete pre-season with the Cherries before they decide if they want to send him on loan to continue his development or stay within their environment.

Brazilian Neto was their main custodian last season, with 32 EPL appearances, with young Irishman Mark Travers (four games) and Romanian Andrei Radu (two matches) also being used.

Radu has since returned to parent club Inter Milan while another keeper, former West Ham and Middlesborough stopper Darren Randolph, is also out of contract.

This article was first published on nzherald.co.nz and is republished here with permission