Antoine Semenyo has a £65m release clause in his contract with Bournemouth, which could be triggered in the first two weeks of the January transfer window. The winger has been in excellent form for the Cherries this season and it is thought that Manchester United and Liverpool are keen to sign him. Tottenham have also maintained an interest in Semenyo since they attempted to sign him last summer.
The Ghana international has scored seven goals and provided three assists in 15 league appearances, figures that have fueled transfer speculation over his future. According to the Telegraph, the player will be in a four-way battle with United, Tottenham, Liverpool and Manchester City.
Tottenham and United pursued Semenyo in last summer’s window, but he ultimately remained at the Vitality Stadium after Bournemouth slapped an £80m price tag on their prized asset.
He has since penned a new five-year contract, which features a release clause of £65m, with the contract running from 1st January to 15th January.
However, Spurs may need to act quickly if they want to bring Semenyo to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. United are reportedly preparing to sign Semenyo “with all their might” in January.
The Red Devils hope speculation surrounding Josep Guardiola’s future at rival city will strengthen their position in a potential deal.
Ruben Amorim hailed Semenyo as a “special player” ahead of Monday’s thrilling draw with Bournemouth, in which he scored an impressive goal.
“They have a special player. They have a lot of good players, but they have a special player in Semenyo. (He) can play with both feet and on both flanks,” Amorim said.
Thomas Frank also praised Semenyo. “Semenyo can play wherever he wants to play. He’s a great player,” he said when managing Brentford ahead of their match against Bournemouth last year.
“I think he’s the best individual player for Bournemouth this season. He’s definitely a player we need to keep an eye on and do our best to get the clean sheet.”
Frank’s decision proved to be correct, as Semenyo recorded 13 goals and seven assists in 42 games last season, the best numbers of his professional career to date.
It remains to be seen how he ends up in January, with no shortage of interest from some of the Premier League’s biggest clubs.
