Soccer-Bournemouth sign Ivory Coast forward Gradel

(Adds Gradel comments) Aug 4 (Reuters) - Bournemouth have signed Ivory Coast international Max Gradel from French Ligue 1 club St Etienne on a four-year deal for an undisclosed fee, the Premier League club said on Tuesday. The 27-year-old forward returns to the Cherries seven years after leaving the club, where he spent two separate loan spells in the 2007-08 season. Gradel said manager Eddie Howe played a key role in his decision. "Not many people will understand why I came to Bournemouth. I had offers for more money and bigger clubs but in football you have to go where you will be happy," Gradel told the club's website (www.afcb.co.uk). "There were other options, like to play Champions League football in Russia, but I decided to come here because I like Eddie a lot. "He's always been there for me so it's a big honour to now come and play for him." Former Leeds United forward Gradel scored 17 goals in 23 starts for St Etienne in the 2014-15 season. "I think it is a real achievement to be able to bring him in and attract him to the club. Hopefully, he will enjoy his second time here," Howe told the Daily Echo. "He is a great character and someone who has real enthusiasm for the game. When I worked with him before, he always wanted to run, to work hard and to improve." (Reporting by Shravanth V in Bengaluru; editing by Sudipto Ganguly)