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Liverpool-linked Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo has seen the goals dry up in recent weeks, but his manager, Andoni Iraola, has insisted that he is not distracted by swirling transfer rumors.
Semenyo netted twice on the opening day of the season at Anfield. The 25-year-old forward has gone on to net another four goals in 15 appearances since then, with his impact in the final third for the Cherries on the decline.
It is thought that Semenyo has a release clause worth $87 million (£65 million) in January, which drops to $80 million (£60 million) in the summer. Manchester City and Arsenal have also been credited with holding an interest in signing him.
But Iraola has moved to reject the theory that Semenyo could be eyeing up an exit. He penned a new deal in the summer when many of his teammates, including Milos Kerkez, decided to leave.
Semenyo is likely to move on at some point in 2026, but the number of suitors that he has could depend on his form between now and then, with Bournemouth powerless to stop a departure if the release clause is triggered.
"No, with Antoine, we cannot only analyze the numbers," Iraola said. "He's not our number nine — he's a winger. He gives us a lot of goals and a lot of assists, and he gives us chances normally.
"He was, I would say, the biggest threat against Chelsea the other day. But we demand from him a lot more than only the finishing part.
"Obviously, when you hear your name every day in the news, you have to deal with these situations. But I think he's committed and I haven't seen a lot of changes in him."
Liverpool might need to be in the market for another forward if Mohamed Salah leaves. The Egyptian opened the door to an exit last week with his explosive mixed zone interview with a handful of reporters.
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"I will have a conversation with Mo this morning," Arne Slot said on Friday. "What I need is a conversation with him and the next time I speak about Mo should be with him and not in here.
"There's not much more I can say. I speak to him today and the outcome determines how things will look tomorrow.
"You can try in multiple ways but I just said the next time I speak about him should be with him. I think there's been a lot of conversations since last week between his representatives and ours."
Liverpool.com says: Semenyo is clearly a good player but his goalscoring has never been consistent. For Liverpool to justify spending $80M-plus on someone who might be tasked with replacing Salah, his numbers would need a huge uptick.
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