Daily Echo can report that AFC Bournemouth have made Issy Watts their first summer signing, bringing the 19-year-old fullback in from Southampton. The move gives the women’s squad a local player with senior WSL2 experience, after she left when her contract expired.
Watts said she was “delighted” and called AFC Bournemouth a team with “massive ambitions for the women’s game and for the future.” She added: “It was really important for me to go to a team where the ambition is there, so that I can pave my pathway and go with them.”
Vitality Stadium memories
Her connection to the club runs deeper than a transfer. Watts said: “Growing up, I went to Vitality Stadium to watch a few games with my dad and had a few AFC Bournemouth kits when I was younger.” She also said: “It’s my local team, so I have seen the men’s team grow and the women’s team going through the leagues and progressing.”
That background helps explain why this signing feels more personal than routine. Watts spent the past decade at Southampton after joining at U10 level, signed her first professional contract there last summer, and made 17 senior appearances overall. In the 2025/26 season she played nine WSL2 games, even as Southampton finished fifth in WSL2.
Bruce Suraci on Watts
Bruce Suraci said AFC Bournemouth were “really pleased to get Issy’s signing across the line and excited to see how she develops here.” He added that she has “a strong athletic profile, the ability to attack and defend in 1v1 situations, and she fits well with our playing philosophy,” before stressing: “Most importantly, Issy has outstanding character.”
For AFC Bournemouth, the practical value is straightforward: a 19-year-old fullback arrives with senior minutes already behind her and room to grow within the squad. Watts said she cannot wait to “get myself out there, get some minutes under my belt and show who I am as a player on the pitch,” which is the next step now that the first summer signing is in place.
