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Hungarian midfield starlet Alex Tóth seals record-breaking move to Premier League side Bournemouth
Alex Tóth will continue his career at Bournemouth, a club competing in the English Premier League. The 20-year-old midfielder is joining the south-coast side from Ferencváros. Bournemouth first hinted at the signing on Tuesday with a red-white-green Rubik’s Cube posted on X, before unveiling their new arrival in a short video showing Tóth signing his contract.
“It’s an incredible feeling to become part of this club, and I’m really excited about what we can achieve together,” Tóth said on Bournemouth’s official website.
“When I first heard about Bournemouth’s interest, I felt excitement and happiness because this is a Premier League club, and the Premier League is the strongest and best league in the world. I like the entire structure of the club, and I quickly found common ground with the leadership. I’m really looking forward to working together and achieving good results with the team.”
Bournemouth confident they’ve found another talent
Bournemouth sporting director Tiago Pinto said the club hopes they have secured another promising talent.
“He comes from a club that is used to competing at the highest level in Hungary while also playing in European competitions, so we’re excited to see what he can bring to Bournemouth,” Pinto said.
According to press reports, Bournemouth, currently sitting 15th in the Premier League, are paying Ferencváros EUR 12 million plus bonuses for the nine-time Hungarian international. The fee represents a transfer record, as no Hungarian footballer playing domestically has ever been sold for such an amount.
Rapid rise from the second division
Tóth made his debut in Hungary’s top flight in May 2023. He only became a regular starter for Ferencváros during the spring of last season, following the appointment of Robbie Keane as head coach. Before that, he mostly played for second-division side Soroksár.
He earned his first cap for the Hungarian national team in March last year.
Former Hungary international Milos Kerkez previously played for Bournemouth and has since become a teammate of Dominik Szoboszlai at Liverpool.
During the summer break, Ferencváros have already parted ways with another Hungarian player: Barnabás Varga has joined AEK Athens.
Robbie Keane: “Alex Tóth has developed enormously over the past year”
Ferencváros head coach Robbie Keane said Alex Tóth has made huge progress over the past year and fully deserves his move to the world’s strongest league.
Speaking to Fradi Media, the 45-year-old Irish coach stressed that a manager’s job is not only to chase victories, but also to help players develop.
“It’s wonderful and almost unbelievable for Ferencváros that a 20-year-old player can move for such a fee and end up in the best league in the world. I spoke to him a lot about expectations, because the Premier League is much more intense and you have far less time on the ball. I also gave him advice about things off the pitch,” Keane said.
He added that Tóth can call him at any time if he needs support.
“I’d rather suffer than hold back a young talent”
“As a coach, I’ve now lost two Hungarian players, Barnabás Varga and Alex Tóth, so I’m in trouble because of the regulations,” Keane admitted. He stressed that the club could have stopped the transfer, but he would never have done so in Tóth’s case.
“If I have to suffer because of this, so be it. But I don’t want a young, talented footballer to suffer. I want him to go, prove himself and enjoy playing in the best league in the world, because he deserves it.”
Keane also revealed that he and his assistant contacted former player Marcus Tavernier, who currently plays for Bournemouth, and asked him to help Tóth settle in.
“I told Alex not to go there thinking he’ll be a substitute, but to believe he will play. Of course, the beginning will be difficult and he might only get a few minutes at first, but you have to think like a starter — it often comes down to very small details,” Keane added.
Tóth has signed a five-and-a-half-year contract with Bournemouth.
Péter Lipcsei: “Mentally strong, humble and hard-working”
Péter Lipcsei believes Alex Tóth is mentally strong and exceptionally humble, qualities that will help him succeed at Bournemouth.
The Ferencváros icon and former head coach of Soroksár told M1 that it was clear from the moment Tóth arrived at the club that he was a major talent, though few expected such rapid progress.
“I’m very happy that he’s signed for Bournemouth, and I’m curious to see how he performs there. The Premier League is a completely different level, with two or even three matches a week, but I trust that he’ll get plenty of opportunities,” Lipcsei said.
Quick thinking and relentless work rate
According to Lipcsei, Tóth always stood out for how quickly he thinks on the pitch and how rapidly he adapted, first at Soroksár and later at Ferencváros.
“There were never any issues with his work rate, so I hope he’ll integrate quickly at his new club as well. His humility is crucial — he hasn’t forgotten where he came from. He’s mentally strong, and I’m really rooting for him to focus fully on his tasks at Bournemouth,” Lipcsei added.
He also expressed hope that this move would not be Tóth’s final destination.
“The key is for him to build himself up here as well, just as he did at Ferencváros. He needs to play as much as possible, score goals, provide assists, and then bring that form back to the national team.”