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Liverpool has been urged to activate Antoine Semenyo's release clause during the January transfer window.
It emerged earlier this week that there is a clause in the contract which Semenyo signed with Bournemouth earlier in the summer, which would allow him to leave during the winter window for a £65 million ($86 million) fee.
Semenyo was courted by a host of top clubs over the summer but ended up staying at Bournemouth, and has enjoyed a remarkable start to the season, registering six goals and three assists.
Only Erling Haaland and Igor Thiago have scored more goals than Semenyo since the season started, and former Premier League hitman Charlie Austin thinks that Liverpool would be wise to try and sign the Ghana international in January.
“It sounds mad saying it, but going on the market and how everything is, absolutely it is – it is cheap,” Austin said on Sky Sports News.
“You can go back to the goal that he scored that opening Premier League night against Liverpool and the performance he put in.
“He gave [Milos] Kerkez a real big problem, scored the goal – it was a fantastic, fantastic performance by him that night, and then he’s continued that form all the way through the start of the season.
“Look, I think £65 million is a snip to get him. And the biggest thing is, he’s only young, he’s progressing. The way he’s performing week in, week out for them, he has made himself Bournemouth’s talisman.”
Sky Sports reported on Monday that Liverpool, Manchester City, and Tottenham are all monitoring Semenyo ahead of a possible January swoop.
Tottenham was also interested in Semenyo in the summer, as was Manchester United, but both clubs ended up signing different attacking players.
Speaking earlier this month, Semenyo said that he was happy to have taken the decision to extend his contract with Bournemouth after being asked about speculation surrounding his future.
"I don't think about it too much," Semenyo said of transfer links. "I try to stay present as much as I can. You see the news all the time, I see it as well, I'm not oblivious, but I try to keep focused.
"I'm enjoying my football here. If I'm not scoring goals, all of that goes away. I try to stay present, do the best I can for the team, score goals and whatever happens in the future happens."
Bournemouth sold a host of first-team players in the summer, as Milos Kerkez, Dean Huijsen, Ilya Zabarnyi, and Dango Outtara all moved on, but Semenyo stayed put.
"When they [his former teammates] all left [in the summer], there was a lot of interest and back and forth with the club," Semenyo recalled.
"But I knew in my head that the manager's got something up his sleeve this year. How we finished off the season last year was so good and we could continue, especially with the players we've bought in as well.
"I wasn't too sure at the start, but we've kicked on like a house on fire. I'm glad I committed to staying here because I'm enjoying every moment."
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