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Arsenal are not currently expected to join Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham in the race to sign Bournemouth attacker Antoine Semenyo
The race for Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo is now beginning to intensify, however, at this moment in time, Arsenal are not expected to be involved in the winter transfer scramble for the explosive Ghana international.
That's because the table-topping Gunners are poised to oversee a quiet January window following an ambitious, record-breaking summer executed by masterful sporting director Andrea Berta.
Semenyo's release clause, worth an initial £60million plus £5m in bonuses, will be active at the start of 2026 and Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham are all weighing up the prospect of putting the cash on the table for the highly-rated 25-year-old.
Barring a drastic U-turn, Arsenal are not planning to throw their hat into the ring. They remain compliant with Premier League PSR regulations but are believed to be sailing close to the wind where UEFA's Squad Cost Ratio limits are concerned.
Those financial restrictions limit club's on-pitch spending to a maximum of 70 per cent of their total revenue so unless there's a notable sale, which looks unlikely at this stage, further big-money business in January does not appear to be realistic.
Not only that but Arsenal are also satisfied with the makeup of their current squad which has yielded impressive results in the Premier League, Champions League and Carabao Cup respectively, so far this term.
It's also important to note that Semenyo's buy-out clause is time-sensitive, so interested parties will have to cut to the chase with real conviction to beat rivals to his signature.
Semenyo makes no secret of the fact he's a boyhood Arsenal supporter but during an interview with The Athletic in 2024, he also made it clear he was open to moving elsewhere should the opportunity arise.
“I am an Arsenal fan,” the Cherries talisman said. “I don’t conflict the two with my job. It is great to play against Arsenal, a team I have watched all my life and I want to play for the top clubs as well. In order for that to happen I need to prove it.
"Any team that plays Champions League, Europa [League] — that’s the aim. I know that’s not going to come with a click of my fingers, it’s going to take some time. It’s going to take goals. It’s going to take a lot of consistent performances. But I’ve worked all my life for that and I’m just going to continue working hard. That’s my mentality.”
Market opportunities like Semenyo are a rarity and on the basis of his red-hot form, it would represent a major surprise if he was to stay put at Bournemouth this winter given there is a mechanism within his contract that can be formally triggered without club-to-club negotiation.
There is also a connection with Liverpool as Reds sporting director Richard Hughes facilitated his Bournemouth transfer in January 2023 from Bristol City. Arne Slot's champions are also yet to replace Luis Diaz and at this stage, their interest appears concrete.
At the end of the season, the picture might look somewhat different. Arsenal are expected to assess their left-wing options with Gabriel Martinelli's contract due to expire in the summer of 2027. They have a one-year extension option they can activate but if Mikel Arteta decides to freshen up his forward line, there could be movement on the left-side of his attack.
The Spaniard already has a plethora of options at his disposal with Martinelli, Leandro Trossard, Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke all competing for a starting berth.
It's understood that Berta is also monitoring Juventus forward Kenan Yildiz's situation in Turin. The Turkey international's reps remain in dialogue with Juventus over a pay-rise as they feel the 20-year-old warrants a more lucrative salary.
These conversations have been ongoing for several months, though they are yet to reach a positive conclusion. Juve remain relaxed, however, as Yildiz contract runs until June 2029.
Sources close to Yildiz have confirmed to Football.London there has been informal contact from a number of Premier League clubs in the past six months to explore the Turk's situation and if Juventus are unable to agree a new deal with the player, Arsenal and Chelsea could consider a swoop for the ex-Bayern Munich youth starlet, who is unlikely to come cheap.
There are plenty of moving parts but unless there is a high-profile injury that alters their thinking, internally, Arsenal are not currently plotting any major moves this winter and they will instead focus their efforts on forward-planning for the summer window.
Club scouts are also continuing to track a number of young talents for the future including Stade Rennes' France U21 international defender Jeremy Jacquet and Real Madrid's versatile 19-year-old centre-back Victor Valdepena.
Arsenal would face strong competition from the Premier League for Jacquet's signature though if they opted to formalise their interest. There were discussions about bringing him to the Emirates in the summer but the 20-year-old was reluctant to sacrifice regular playing time in Ligue 1 for a bit-part role in north London.
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