Kermogant has a penned a two-and-a-half year deal to complete a move from Charlton Athletic for an undisclosed fee.
“This is quite a small club, but it is growing and I wanted to be part of the project,” he told afcb.co.uk.
“It was a very difficult decision for me and my family because we were settled in London, but these things happen in football and sometimes you have to move on. I’m looking forward to my new challenge here now.
“I like the way the manager plays on the floor, the passing play is very good, the club has a young manager who has done well – it is a good project.
“I will have to speak with the manager about how he wants to use me, but first I will have to work hard to get my place in the team.
“I know he likes my aerial ability and the team puts in a lot of crosses, maybe they need someone to make the headers.
“Bournemouth is my new club and I will do all I can to achieve the best I can.”
Kermorgant scored on his two previous appearances at the Goldsands Stadium and is hoping to make a successful start to his Cherries career when his former club Leicester City visit the south coast, subject to Football League approval.
“I remember scoring here in the last minute when both clubs were in League One and the one this season,” he said.
“I hope to keep going and to score goals, but it’s more about the team and the club.
“We could have been playing any club tomorrow, but it’s my old club. It’s strange.
“Everyone knows my story at Leicester, but it will be the manager’s decision (whether I play).
“I have had a couple of difficult days in terms of preparation, but I will do what I have to do.”
Not exactly a 'This is a dream move for me' type statement!
Is every football club a "project" now or just some of them ?
It's quite straightforward. We offered an amount of money - apparently less than he is on now. We don't know what discussions and promises may have preceded the takeover.
Bournemouth offered more money than us. We declined to match their offer - or, apparently, his existing deal.
That doesn't mean we couldn't have done so - clearly with the money flying around in the last 48 hours involving Charlton we could - as it's unlikely to be more than £50-100k a year difference. But we were not prepared to spend that bit extra to keep Yann, even though we have it. So rightly or wrongly, it was decided to let him go to Bournemouth and bank whatever the fee is instead to spend on someone else.
Yann was the highest earner at the club, although he was paid nothing like Fuller. In my personal view and particularly given our league position it is a foolish decision, but we will have to look at what is happening in the round and not get hung up on one aspect.
OS only mentions length of contract offered nothing about conditions, most importantly wages. What if he was offered reduced money? Difficult to judge one way or another without all details but I find it difficult to think Yann would move if terms had been closely comparable.
Good player for us. Always appeared to give his all. Seemed a decent bloke.
Well done the club on making an offer. A 2 year extension is longer than a lot would of offered.
Likely to be his last contract, so can understand why he would wish to maximise it for him & his family. Suppose we could of refused the move, but this can be problematic.
One of those things, Charlton move on, the club is bigger than one individual and has survived the loss of other players in the past.
At least he didn't sign for Celtic.
Reserve the right to revise my opinion if more facts (not rumours) emerge.
This guy wanted to stay at Charlton, but at the age of 32 didn't want the piss taken out of himself by being offered a much reduced wage.
5-10 years from now, on those mad away days when people are singing random songs about Mendonca, Eddie Youds, Johnnie Robinson, Bradley Wright Phillips - they'll also be throwing in the team of Kermorgants song.
Go have the "is he a legend"/"he isn't a legend" debate all you want - in the eyes of many of our younger fans, he is their all time favorite player, and rightly so.
Anyway, I've clearly got the hump and don't want to let the "he wasnt that good anyway" pratts ruin my Friday any more.
You were a vital part of two seasons of success, scored and created some great goals and it was a joy to watch you wind up opposition players until they got sent off.
Who will forget the goals v Leicester or his return with a bandaged head v Oldham.
The penalty v Bolton was the turning point of last season. He must have been under so much pressure given what happened at Leicester but he scored it.
Those that meet him, and I was lucky enough to do so at Eltham Addicks, will remember an intelligent, thoughtful guy who loved being at Charlton.
I'm not going to slag him off for not taking our deal now. That is down to him. Did they offer him more? Did we even match what he was on before?
Nor am I going to act like a spoilt child or rejected lover and say "f*** off" or pretend he wasn't that good because he was that good for us and many of those now slating him where begging him to stay only a few hours ago.
But we move on. We've lost good players before and we'll lose them in the future. That it is Bournemouth rather than Celtic or another big club doesn't sit well but clearly their Russian millionaire has given them money to spend. At Yann's age and with his contract having been stupidly and negligently allowed to run down by the old regime it make sense business wise.
After watching that whole interview it seems painfully obvious that Yann doesn't want to be there. His eyes look red in that photo, I like to think that he has been crying.
A bit of spin from our club in an attempt to appease the fans and Yann saying all the right things to ingratiate himself at Bournemouth from what I can see reading between the lines.
just watched the interview, get the same impression, that he has to sound like he wants to be there. Still mentions we when talking about us losing at bournemouth and at the end looks very sad when talking about leaving and says he loves the charlton fans
Sad that he has gone, I thought that when fully fit he was a handful for the opposition every time I saw him play. I considered him our best player ( Solly always seems to be injured when I am back in the UK ), and to have our best player sold yet again on deadline day was something I hoped would not happen under the new regime.
I'm as disappointed as anyone but always looking for a silver lining. Now we won't have Yann's fantastic ability in the air, we'll just have to get the ball to our forwards a different way... i.e. by playing football.
Absolutely gutted and those pictures are very painful to look at. Gonna find it hard to feel positive, proud or passionate about this club when Powell's gone too.
After watching that whole interview it seems painfully obvious that Yann doesn't want to be there. His eyes look red in that photo, I like to think that he has been crying.
should try and get the views from kermogants friend from france who was a frequent poster on here around the time of celtics interest last year? does anyone remember his account - could inbox him to find out some details
should try and get the views from kermogants friend from france who was a frequent poster on here around the time of celtics interest last year? does anyone remember his account - could inbox him to find out some details
think a lot of the chest beating, i love the club stuff has proven to be slightly hollow. just my opinion, but he has done us a kipper.
i choose to fully believe now that the withdrawal due to illness at Udders was purely not to trigger the extension.
the Club has felt it necessary to comment to a greater than usual extent on the OS. you can choose who to believe but i believe that YK has got the move he has been seeking. interestingly, he didnt choose to listen to an improved offer.
following this from afar, YK has played a very cute game.
Comments
The lack of class shown by YK has killed any "legend" talk.
I loved him like a brother, why yann? Why?!
"Overall, Kermorgant scored 32 goals in 96 appearances for the Addicks." and people on here make out we have lost Drogba, get over it.
Bournemouth offered more money than us. We declined to match their offer - or, apparently, his existing deal.
That doesn't mean we couldn't have done so - clearly with the money flying around in the last 48 hours involving Charlton we could - as it's unlikely to be more than £50-100k a year difference. But we were not prepared to spend that bit extra to keep Yann, even though we have it. So rightly or wrongly, it was decided to let him go to Bournemouth and bank whatever the fee is instead to spend on someone else.
Yann was the highest earner at the club, although he was paid nothing like Fuller. In my personal view and particularly given our league position it is a foolish decision, but we will have to look at what is happening in the round and not get hung up on one aspect.
Good player for us. Always appeared to give his all. Seemed a decent bloke.
Well done the club on making an offer. A 2 year extension is longer than a lot would of offered.
Likely to be his last contract, so can understand why he would wish to maximise it for him & his family. Suppose we could of refused the move, but this can be problematic.
One of those things, Charlton move on, the club is bigger than one individual and has survived the loss of other players in the past.
At least he didn't sign for Celtic.
Reserve the right to revise my opinion if more facts (not rumours) emerge.
This guy wanted to stay at Charlton, but at the age of 32 didn't want the piss taken out of himself by being offered a much reduced wage.
5-10 years from now, on those mad away days when people are singing random songs about Mendonca, Eddie Youds, Johnnie Robinson, Bradley Wright Phillips - they'll also be throwing in the team of Kermorgants song.
Go have the "is he a legend"/"he isn't a legend" debate all you want - in the eyes of many of our younger fans, he is their all time favorite player, and rightly so.
Anyway, I've clearly got the hump and don't want to let the "he wasnt that good anyway" pratts ruin my Friday any more.
Thank you Yann, and best of luck.
You were a vital part of two seasons of success, scored and created some great goals and it was a joy to watch you wind up opposition players until they got sent off.
Who will forget the goals v Leicester or his return with a bandaged head v Oldham.
The penalty v Bolton was the turning point of last season. He must have been under so much pressure given what happened at Leicester but he scored it.
Those that meet him, and I was lucky enough to do so at Eltham Addicks, will remember an intelligent, thoughtful guy who loved being at Charlton.
I'm not going to slag him off for not taking our deal now. That is down to him. Did they offer him more? Did we even match what he was on before?
Nor am I going to act like a spoilt child or rejected lover and say "f*** off" or pretend he wasn't that good because he was that good for us and many of those now slating him where begging him to stay only a few hours ago.
But we move on. We've lost good players before and we'll lose them in the future. That it is Bournemouth rather than Celtic or another big club doesn't sit well but clearly their Russian millionaire has given them money to spend. At Yann's age and with his contract having been stupidly and negligently allowed to run down by the old regime it make sense business wise.
If it makes sense football wise we shall.
Sorry
Jokes aside, great player. Always felt though that he warranted more goals. Will miss those free kicks.
i choose to fully believe now that the withdrawal due to illness at Udders was purely not to trigger the extension.
the Club has felt it necessary to comment to a greater than usual extent on the OS. you can choose who to believe but i believe that YK has got the move he has been seeking. interestingly, he didnt choose to listen to an improved offer.
following this from afar, YK has played a very cute game.
thanks for the performances, move on.