3 hours ago
28
Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo has made his preference on his next destination clear ahead of the January transfer window.
Both Manchester City and Manchester United are among a number of Premier League clubs to have enquired about the Ghana international in recent weeks and months. Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham have also been linked with the player, but the indication has always been that the two Manchester clubs were leading the chase.
The latest report from The Athletic's David Ornstein is that it is Semenyo's preference to join City should he leave the Vitality Stadium next month. A deal between clubs is yet to be agreed as a little over a week remains before the window opens, but the presence of a £65 million release clause that can be triggered before January 10 should make the move straightforward.
If he were to remain at the Vitality Stadium beyond the January window, the release clause would then drop significantly ahead of the summer. That said, interest from Premier League clubs, most notably City, makes a winter exit the likeliest outcome.
The article from Ornstein claims that Semenyo’s desire to win trophies was one of the driving forces behind his decision to choose City. Pep Guardiola’s side have won six Premier League titles since 2018, with only Liverpool usurping them on two occasions.
In Europe, they have also remained competitive, claiming a Champions League triumph over Inter Milan back in 2023. That year, they secured a historic treble by also winning the league and FA Cup.
City’s rivals United were also heavily linked with Semenyo, but the article notes that a move next month was always going to be a stretch for Ruben Amorim’s side. Liverpool were also credited with interest in the player, as were Tottenham, but neither appeared to step up their pursuit in recent weeks.
Chelsea emerged as outside contenders on Tuesday, with reports suggesting they had made enquiries with Semenyo’s representatives. However, it later emerged that they had decided against pursuing the 25-year-old and instead retain faith in their current attacking options.
A move for Semenyo would provide greater depth to Guardiola’s attacking options, which already consist of Erling Haaland, Jeremy Doku, Omar Marmoush, Savinho, Oscar Bobb, Phil Foden and Rayan Cherki. City remain locked in a title race with league leaders Arsenal, with just two points separating the sides after 17 matches.
City’s immediate focus, however, will be on their upcoming fixtures heading into the New Year. They take on Nottingham Forest away a couple of days after Christmas, before a tricky test on the road against Sunderland on January 2.
English (US) ·