Liverpool informed to signal ‘excellent’ Premier League ahead
Hughes connection fuels Liverpool curiosity
Liverpool’s admiration for Bournemouth ahead Antoine Semenyo continues to develop, with the membership’s recruitment workforce, led by Richard Hughes, reportedly holding shut tabs on the 25-year-old forward of the summer time switch window. The Reds are usually not deterred by Bournemouth’s valuation of near £70 million for the Ghana worldwide.
Photograph: IMAGO
Hughes, now Liverpool’s director of soccer, performed a major function in Bournemouth’s profitable recruitment technique earlier than his transfer to Anfield. The likes of Nathan Aké, Aaron Ramsdale, Ilya Zabarnyi, Milos Kerkez, and Justin Kluivert have been all signed beneath his watch. Hughes can also be believed to have laid the groundwork for the potential arrival of Dean Huijsen—a participant Liverpool are additionally monitoring carefully.
With Semenyo now on Liverpool’s radar, Hughes’ prior working relationship with the Cherries may show useful as soon as once more.
Semenyo’s rise from uncooked prospect to Premier League drive
A comparatively late bloomer, Semenyo arrived at Bristol Metropolis from South Gloucestershire and Stroud School relatively than a standard academy system. After mortgage spells at Newport County and Sunderland, it was former Bristol Metropolis supervisor Lee Johnson who handed him his senior debut in 2018.
Photograph IMAGO
“He didn’t have the data, did he?” Johnson informed talkSPORT. “He didn’t have the pedigree, he hadn’t actually come by means of an academy. Like I say, he was taking part in on the school.”
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“All people on the membership needed to put lots of effort in. However, on the finish of the day, the participant has nonetheless bought to purchase into that and implement these modifications. He was a robust participant however he’s additionally now an excellent athlete.”
Semenyo’s improvement has been dramatic. Signed by Bournemouth in 2023 for £10 million, he has now scored 10 objectives in all competitions this season—eight of them within the Premier League—making 2024/25 his most efficient marketing campaign so far.
Photograph: IMAGO
Model fits Liverpool’s recruitment blueprint
Semenyo’s recreation profile seems well-suited to Liverpool’s historic mannequin beneath Michael Edwards and, now, Richard Hughes. He combines tempo, physicality, and direct operating with an ever-improving sense of tactical self-discipline and ending composure.
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With Mohamed Salah getting into the ultimate phases of his Liverpool profession and Diogo Jota’s health typically beneath query, Arne Slot will want recent attacking choices within the coming window. Semenyo matches a well-recognized mould—very similar to Sadio Mané and Salah earlier than him: gamers who have been promising however turned elite beneath Liverpool’s improvement mannequin.
His efficiency at Anfield in August 2023—scoring inside three minutes in Bournemouth’s eventual 3-1 defeat—solely bolstered the sense that Semenyo belongs on the large stage.
Competitors constructing as golf equipment circle
Liverpool are usually not the one aspect monitoring the previous Bristol Metropolis ahead. Manchester United, Newcastle, and a number of other different top-flight golf equipment are additionally believed to be watching carefully. However the Reds’ familiarity with the participant—each by means of Hughes and detailed scouting—may provide a bonus.
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Johnson, for one, can be delighted to see his former participant take the subsequent step. “It’s nice to see,” he stated. “While you see younger gamers that you simply’ve given debuts to go on and do rather well, it’s actually rewarding.”
“Now, he’s a extremely impactful participant within the Premier League. It simply goes to point out that expertise is all over the place and you’ll’t be closed off to recognising that expertise. Give them the fitting surroundings, develop them and also you’ve bought a proper likelihood.”
