Bournemouth striker Antoine Semenyo has addressed speculation surrounding a move to Liverpool and Manchester United. He has had a great season, scoring six goals and providing three assists in nine league games. Semenyo filled the void left by Dominic Solanke, who left for Tottenham Hotspur last season.
His form attracted attention from Premier League rivals over the summer, and Semenyo reportedly held talks with United manager Ruben Amorim towards the end of last season. He has also been tipped as a possible long-term successor to Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah. Nevertheless, despite seeing several of his Bournemouth colleagues leave, Semenyo has chosen to commit his future to the club until 2030.
His new contract reportedly includes a release clause, and although the exact amount has not been disclosed, the Cherries are thought to value Semenyo at £75m.
While many players may shy away from talking about their future, Semenyo is happy with his choice to remain at Bournemouth over the summer, although he admits he is aware of the transfer rumors surrounding him.
“I haven’t really thought about it,” Semenyo told Sky Sports. “I try to stay present as much as possible. I always watch the news and I watch it as well. It’s not that I don’t care, but I try to stay focused.
“I’m enjoying my football here. If I’m not scoring goals, it all goes away. I’m staying where I am, doing my best for the team, scoring goals and trying to see what happens in the future.”
“When they all left (in the summer) there was a lot of interest and a lot of back and forth with the club. But I knew in my head that the manager was up to something this year.”
“The way the season ended last year was very good and we were able to continue, especially with the players we have acquired.
“I wasn’t very confident at first, but it’s going like a house on fire. I’m glad I decided to stay here, because I’m enjoying every moment.”
There were initial concerns about how Bournemouth would cope this season after the departure of several key players over the summer.
Centre-halves Dean Huyssen and Ilia Zabarny have secured moves to Real Madrid and PSG respectively, while Liverpool have swooped in on left-back Milos Kerkes.
The Cherries have also confirmed the permanent transfer of Dango Ouattara to Brentford and needed to recruit a new goalkeeper following former Chelsea loanee Kepa Arrizabalaga’s move to Arsenal.
Despite this, Andoni Iraola’s side appear to be on track with their summer rebuild.
