Bournemouth transfer news: Cherries star set to trigger clause that shuts out Milan AC and Real Madrid

Bournemouth are very close to turning Alex Jimenez's loan into a permanent deal. And, in doing so, closing the door once and for all on any future intervention from Real Madrid regarding the Spanish right-back's destiny.

The player needs just two more starts, or appearances of more than 45 minutes, for the mandatory buy clause included in his contract to be automatically triggered.

A clause that changes everything for Real Madrid and AC Milan

According to The Athletic, the mechanism was included in the agreement signed with AC Milan last summer and stipulates that upon reaching 18 matches under these conditions, the English club will assume full ownership of the player.

So far, Jimenez has made 16 appearances that count towards the contractual trigger.

Should the clause be activated, Bournemouth will pay £16.5m (€19.5m), plus up to £4.2m (€5m) in performance-related bonuses. AC Milan will receive the first £4.2m (€5m) and half of the remaining amount, while Real Madrid will receive the other half of that difference, ending any decision-making power over the player.

The activation of the clause represents a point of no return, especially for Real Madrid. Although Jimenez never made his debut for the Spanish club's first team, his progress had been carefully monitored as part of Madrid's recurring policy of maintaining some control over youngsters developed at Valdebebas.

Real Madrid's safeguards set to disappear

Álex Jiménez: Liverpool (H)

The comp you all wanted to see ?⭐️ pic.twitter.com/q1PXpBgXFm
— AFC Bournemouth ? (@afcbournemouth) January 26, 2026

This control had already been reduced when AC Milan sold the player to Bournemouth. Nevertheless, there were important safeguards: buy-back options and a "matching right" that allowed Madrid to match future offers from other clubs.

However, all these clauses would only have been valid if Jimenez returned to AC Milan at some point.

With the permanent purchase by Bournemouth, these protections will cease to exist. The full-back will become, in practice, an exclusive asset of the English club, free to negotiate his future without any interference from former rights holders.

On the pitch, Jimenez has been one of Bournemouth's positive surprises this season. The Spaniard scored his first Premier League goal in Saturday's victory over Liverpool and is already the ninth most-used player in the squad, with 1,382 minutes played so far.

This consistency helps explain why the club do not appear willing to avoid triggering the clause. On the contrary: the expectation, according to The Athletic sources close to the negotiations, is that Bournemouth will naturally complete the process in the coming weeks, consolidating their investment in a player of just 20 years old with international experience at Spain's youth levels.