The Semenyo sweepstakes: analysing four contenders to land the Bournemouth star in January

Antoine Semenyo has spent the last 18 months doing the one thing that guarantees chaos in a transfer window: getting better, loudly and repeatedly, in plain sight.

Bournemouth’s rise under Andoni Iraola has been powered by his blend of pace, power and end-product, while reports of a release clause that can be triggered in January mean the whispers have quickly turned into something louder and more insistent.

This is not hype built on a purple patch. Since the start of the 2024-25 season, Semenyo has been a consistent difference-maker, contributing goals and assists at a rate that places him among the league’s most productive wide attackers outside the traditional elite. Comfortable off either flank, relentless without the ball and increasingly composed in the final third, he looks like a player ready to step into a higher-pressure environment.

Four clubs are most frequently linked, and each offers a different version of what the next stage of his career could look like.

Manchester United

Manchester United’s interest feels the most obvious. United remain in search of wide players who can both stretch the pitch and actually beat their man, and Semenyo ticks those boxes emphatically.

His ability to carry the ball at speed would add directness to a side that still too often plays in front of organised defences. Crucially, he also brings defensive intensity, something that would appeal to any coach trying to impose structure on United’s often-chaotic press.

Semenyo’s versatility across the front line makes him an immediately useful option in a squad still short of reliable attackers, with rumours he could even be deployed as a wing-back in Ruben Amorim’s system.

Manchester City

Manchester City’s interest is less about need and more about evolution. Pep Guardiola has increasingly favoured wide players who can threaten the box rather than hug the touchline, and Semenyo’s goal threat from wide areas fits that brief.

He is not a like-for-like replacement for anyone in City’s squad, but rather an option who could offer a more physical, transitional edge when games open up. Semenyo would possibly have to accept rotation and adaptation, but the upside is clear: refinement under Guardiola and a platform where his efficiency could become devastating.

Liverpool

Liverpool’s pursuit makes sense on several levels. With Mohamed Salah now deep into his thirties, succession planning on the wings is no longer theoretical. Semenyo’s ability to play on either side of the attack, combined with his work rate, would align neatly with Liverpool’s demands out of possession.

He is not Salah, but he does not need to be. Instead, he would offer verticality, athleticism and the capacity to thrive in high-tempo games, something Liverpool continue to value even as their tactical shape evolves.

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Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham feel like the most stylistically natural fit. Thomas Frank’s system asks wide players to be aggressive, brave and relentlessly attacking, and Semenyo’s game is built on those principles. He would give Spurs another outlet capable of turning broken phases into chances, while also easing the creative burden on their central attackers.

At Tottenham, Semenyo would likely play more, sooner and in a system designed to amplify his strengths rather than soften his edges.

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