Chelsea have cooled their interest in Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo after making inquiries about the popular winger on Tuesday ahead of the January transfer window. The 25-year-old Ghanaian international is a rising star who will get his chance in about a week’s time.
Despite penning a new contract with the south coast club in the summer, his £65m release fee has caught the attention of all of the Premier League’s top clubs. The clause expires on January 10, meaning interested clubs won’t have a full month to trigger it, but the move is intended to give Bournemouth enough time to find a replacement.
If he remains at the Vitality Stadium, his release clause will be reduced to a lower amount in the summer.
It emerged on Tuesday morning that Chelsea are considering a late push for a winger to increase their attacking options. The Blues bought two wingers in the summer, Jamie Gittens and Alejandro Garnacho, but Semenyo has had a long-standing interest and was even considered for a move in 2019, when he was still at Bristol City.
Chelsea will not pursue a move for Semenyo in the current situation. They have done their research and have strong admiration for the player, but they are thought to have confidence in the attackers Enzo Maresca is currently available to sign.
Chelsea are not the only ones interested in Semenyo, with Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United reportedly courting the player ahead of a potential move in January. London’s other rivals, Tottenham, are also said to be interested, but it was always thought they would not be able to sign him.
The two Manchester clubs are understood to have held the most substantive discussions with the player’s agent. However, Chelsea’s immediate attention will likely turn to their next league games against Aston Villa and Bournemouth.
If the release clause is triggered soon thereafter, the trip to Stamford Bridge on December 30 could be Semenyo’s last appearance for the south coast club. Maresca’s side currently sit fourth in the league table after 17 games, level on points with Liverpool, meaning they need to make further progress to secure qualification for next season’s Champions League.
