Each switch window, there’s a participant whose future turns into the defining saga of the month. This January, it appears to be like set to be Antoine Semenyo.
Manchester Metropolis to signal the 25-year-old Bournemouth ahead, who has a £65m launch clause which expires on 10 January.
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BBC Sport understands 4 different Premier League golf equipment – Manchester United, Liverpool, Tottenham and Chelsea – have made enquiries.
It marks the most recent step in a fast rise for London-born Semenyo, who represents Ghana internationally via his father’s heritage.
He was rejected by Arsenal, Spurs and Millwall as a teen earlier than ending up in a West Nation academy run by former Leeds and Forest Inexperienced supervisor Dave Hockaday.
Bristol Metropolis signed him in 2017, however he wanted mortgage spells at Bathtub, Newport and Sunderland earlier than breaking into the Robins’ first group in 2020-21.
In January 2023, he made a £10m transfer to Bournemouth – and he has been bettering ever since.
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However why Manchester Metropolis, and why now? And do the Cherries have any probability of persuading him to remain?
Why do Manchester Metropolis need Semenyo?
Semenyo was praised by Pep Guardiola after Bournemouth misplaced 3-1 to Manchester Metropolis on 2 November [Getty Images]
What it says in regards to the state of the switch market apart, £65m is a bargain price for a Premier League winger approaching the prime of his profession.
So, it’s no shock that Pep Guardiola and Manchester Metropolis are pushing exhausting for Semenyo now – even when his stats recommend he would not be an enormous enchancment on the extensive choices they have already got.
Semenyo has created fewer probabilities per 90 minutes this season than Rayan Cherki or Jeremy Doku, and his dribble success fee is simply higher than Savinho among the many devoted wing males within the Metropolis senior squad.
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However his product catches the attention, with a greater aim and help per recreation fee than Doku, Savinho, Phil Foden and Omar Marmoush – he has scored 4 targets and assisted two immediately following a carry, the joint most of any Premier League participant because the starting of April.
Plus, his model of play would provide a brand new dimension to Metropolis as they intention to catch Premier League leaders Arsenal.
Consummately two-footed, solely Mohamed Salah and Cole Palmer tried extra pictures than Semenyo, whereas his complete of 69 profitable dribbles is the third-highest complete within the prime flight.
“He can drive ahead with the ball vertically, quite than Doku who comes out and in,” former England goalkeeper Rob Inexperienced informed BBC 5 Dwell.
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“He can try this one thing totally different Pep is searching for. Brief time period they’ve their very own damage issues, with Oscar Bobb out, Doku out, Marmoush away [at the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) with Egypt], so he may also help brief time period and long run.
“It does elevate the query what future somebody like Savinho has although.”
The Afcon concern is not any drawback for Semenyo, with Ghana having surprisingly didn’t qualify.
And Guardiola was already confirmed as a fan of him earlier this season, earlier than the switch discuss intensified.
“He is a rare, extraordinary, extraordinary participant,” the Spaniard insisted.
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“His vitality, his confidence, his motion – unbelievable. He does not cease operating, he assaults area so properly, and when he has the ball, you’re feeling one thing will occur.
“He is bettering each recreation. Gamers like him make this league particular – at all times hungry, at all times courageous.”
Semenyo’s output backs up the bombast. Because the begin of April, he has been immediately concerned in 16 Premier League targets, third solely to Metropolis striker Erling Haaland and Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers.
He has scored 12 league targets throughout this era, second solely to Haaland, whereas he has overperformed his anticipated targets tally greater than any participant apart from West Ham captain Jarrod Bowen.
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Semenyo has been immediately concerned in 20 Premier League targets in 2025, with 14 targets and 6 assists – making him solely the second Ghana worldwide to take action, after Tony Yeboah at Leeds in 1995.
If he’s concerned with another in opposition to both Brentford on 27 December or Chelsea three days later, his tally will surpass Dominic Solanke’s membership report for aim involvements in a calendar 12 months.
“He is an excellent, good participant,” former Manchester Metropolis goalkeeper Shay Given informed BBC Match of the Day. “At 25, he’s within the peak of his profession as properly.”
May Bournemouth persuade him to remain?
Semenyo has missed just one Premier League recreation this season – Bournemouth’s 2-2 draw with West Ham, as a result of sickness [Getty Images]
With Semenyo having contributed to 11 of Bournemouth’s 26 targets this season, Andoni Iraola would like to hold him – particularly with the Cherries on a seven-match winless league run stretching again to October, which has seen them fall to fifteenth within the desk.
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Regardless of this poor kind, there stays a constructive feeling round Bournemouth. Factors-wise, they’re nearer to the highest 4 than the underside three.
Iraola is considered one of the crucial tactically astute managers within the Premier League, who has acquired one of the best out of Semenyo to the purpose that just about each English big needs to signal him.
Add in new coaching amenities at Bournemouth and the promise of a brand new floor, and there may be extra for the Cherries to supply.
Former Bournemouth striker Sam Vokes informed BBC Solent: “I do not know why you’d need to go away that setup. I perceive when so-called ‘greater’ golf equipment come knocking, it is exhausting typically.
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“However with the way in which he is performing and the way in which that Bournemouth have been doing – it appears to be like like he is having fun with his soccer.
“I do not know why he’d need to try this wherever else for the time being.”
Bournemouth have solely misplaced two video games wherein Semenyo has scored since his debut in 2023.
No marvel team-mate Justin Kluivert stated earlier this season: “He’s unbelievable. He exhibits it each recreation now. He’s simply world class.”
Evaluation: Semenyo in, Savinho or Bobb out?
Savinho has failed to attain in 13 Premier League appearances for Man Metropolis this season [Getty Images]
Manchester Metropolis spent huge sums final January due to an damage disaster and look set so as to add big-money signing Semenyo this time round in very totally different circumstances.
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Metropolis are chasing Arsenal within the Premier League title race, one in all 4 fronts each groups are competing in, and boss Pep Guardiola has determined to strengthen the right-hand facet of his assault.
The Ghanaian provides tempo and direct operating from that flank, and will probably be of nice satisfaction to Guardiola that he selected Metropolis over the opposite choices he had.
However one in means one might now go away, with Savinho or Oscar Bobb being presumably moved on to accommodate him.
Tottenham held talks for the Brazilian in the summertime however couldn’t agree a price, so may they take a look at the waters once more when the switch window opens subsequent month?
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Semenyo fits Guardiola’s new model
Semenyo’s profile is a singular one and on the reported worth level, it seems like a no brainer.
Stylistically we now have seen Metropolis lean into attacking in transition with extra tempo this season than beforehand beneath Guardiola, who has performed on the strengths of Haaland, Foden, Tijjani Reijnders and Doku – attacking rapidly over massive distances.
In consequence, Metropolis have scored from extra quick breaks this season than throughout your complete 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons mixed.
Bournemouth’s direct model of assault means Semenyo’s tempo, good hold-up play, good decision-making and two-footed ball-striking are extra simply transferred to this Metropolis facet.
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These are harmful traits, particularly when going lengthy in opposition to groups that try to press excessive up the pitch.
Guardiola likes versatile gamers too, given they supply options to damage crises.
With Doku out injured, Reijnders has are available in and shifted Foden out to the left. Semenyo would supply Premier League confirmed high quality on each wings.
“The years we had been profitable, not simply the strikers [were scoring], particularly the wingers, attacking midfielders. We’d like that,” stated Guardiola earlier this month.
Metropolis’s over-reliance on Haaland’s 19 targets can be one thing he needs to handle. Foden has scored the second most with seven however has been moved away from the quantity 10 place, the place he scores usually from distance.
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The signing of Semenyo would assist get Foden again within the areas Guardiola feels he’s most harmful.
Semenyo has the additional benefit of offering targets himself whereas beginning as a winger. With eight within the league this season, solely Igor Thiago and Haaland have extra.
If Metropolis need to overtake Arsenal and win the league, getting scorers behind Haaland can be a sensible transfer.