Tottenham are reportedly in the midst of a January transfer battle for Antoine Semenyo, with Manchester City, Liverpool and Manchester United also in contention for his signature. Bournemouth’s new contract has a £65m release clause that must be triggered by a specific date, ensuring that he can leave midway through the season.
The Ghana international started the 2025/26 season in style, scoring twice against Fulham and Liverpool, and his impressive start to the season saw him help the Cherries to wins over Wolves, Brighton and Leeds, attracting interest from other countries.
This explains why interest in Tottenham is not only current, but potentially growing. Sky Sports claim Spurs have stepped up their pursuit of Semenyo and appear willing to meet his asking price.
However, competition from Liverpool and Manchester City could make things worse. Meanwhile, Arsenal, who are said to be monitoring the situation closely, have sufficient cover in the wide positions and are unlikely to move forward with interest.
Tottenham previously balked at Bournemouth’s £70m valuation for Semenyo this summer, but now appear to be hoping to take points from their rivals.
Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola was asked about the forward’s future at a press conference last month, but the 43-year-old appeared unfazed by the speculation.
He said: “We are in November. Antoine (Semenyo) is our player and will continue to be our player. You can ask about the market in January.”
“But at the moment I’m not worried about the next market. I’m not worried about the situation. We’ll talk in January about what happened and the players we need.”
Despite strengthening their attacking options with three new signings in the summer transfer window, Tottenham are heavily reliant on Mohamed Kudus on the right-wing and are struggling for balance up front.
Manager Thomas Frank has experimented with Wilson Odbert, Xavi Simons, Richarlison and Randal Kolo Muani on the left, but has recently opted for a formation without traditional wide players, allowing Lukas Bergvall to roam between the touchline and the number eight role on the left.
This tactical change highlighted the urgent need for a natural left winger, especially as Spurs have yet to find a suitable successor to club legend Son Heung-min. The club appear to think Semenyo is the long-term solution to this problem, but interest from Liverpool could derail those plans.
Semenyo himself addressed the transfer rumors in an interview with Sky Sports, explaining why he has decided to commit his immediate future to Bournemouth. He said: “I don’t think about it too much. I try to stay present as much as possible. I watch the news all the time and so do I. 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 (former team-mates) all left (in the summer), there was a lot of interest and interaction at the club.
“But I knew in my head that the manager was trying to do something this year. The way the season ended last year was very good and I think we can continue, especially with the players we have brought in.”
“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.”
