Bournemouth's Alex Jiménez has been suspended by the Football Association (FA) over allegations of sending social media messages to a 15-year-old. The governing body formally excluded him from playing in the domestic game while it investigates claims he directly messaged the girl on social media.
What happened?
Screenshots emerged in May of an exchange seemingly between the 21-year-old footballer and a female Instagram user, who said that she was 15. Within hours, Bournemouth announced that Jiménez had been dropped from the match-day squad for the Premier League match against Fulham.
Why it matters for Bournemouth
The FA investigation is ongoing, and Bournemouth have agreed a loan with an option to buy for the Serie A club Fiorentina. The deal includes a €20m (£17m) option to make the move permanent. Jiménez was initially dropped over what the club said was a "serious matter" being investigated relating to "posts circulating on social media".
What comes next?
Jiménez made 32 appearances for Bournemouth last season, scoring once. He had been a key player for Bournemouth, missing only one league game since the previous December. Bournemouth's league standing is 6th in Premier League, 57 pts, 13W-18D-7L from 38 games, recent form DDWWD. The team is 28 points behind leaders Arsenal in the title race. Their last result was a 1-1 draw against Nottingham Forest on 2026-05-24. They are unbeaten in their last 5 matches, with a recent form of 1W-4D-0L (DDDDW, most recent first). Their next fixture is against Genoa at home on 2026-08-04.
Bournemouth's response
"AFC Bournemouth are aware of posts circulating on social media involving right-back, Alex Jiménez," read a statement from the club in May. "The club understand the seriousness of the matter and it is currently being investigated."
The loan deal
Bournemouth have agreed a loan with an option to buy for the Serie A club Fiorentina. The deal includes a €20m (£17m) option to make the move permanent. Sources close to talks claimed a duty of care to Jiménez and said it was "best for all parties" for Jiménez to go on loan. Jiménez was initially dropped over what the club said was a "serious matter" being investigated relating to "posts circulating on social media".
