The most in-demand player ahead of the January window, which is being courted by both Manchester clubs and Tottenham, has another idea in mind – he wants to join Liverpool.
Release clauses are becoming increasingly common in modern football, and are often set at above and beyond what a player is worth in transfer fees at the time. However, in the case of Antoine Semenyo, the £65 million (£60 million plus £5 million in additional claims) he can be bought for is now considered a massive underpayment.
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The Bournemouth star, 25 years old, is equally adept at operating on both flanks, and only Erling Haaland and Igor Thiago – who are both strikers – have scored more goals than the winger in the Premier League this season.
Consequently, Manchester United, Manchester City, Tottenham and Liverpool have all mobilised, but there can only be one winner next month.
It is understood that Semenyo’s clause is active from January 1 to January 10. A transfer in the very early stages of the winter window is therefore expected, and according to the latest news from The Guardian, a deal is Liverpool’s if they want it.
In an article that focused primarily on Manchester United’s winter window plans, the report declared: “United are also battling Liverpool and Manchester City to sign Antoine Semenyo from Bournemouth in early January, but it is believed that the striker prefers to join Liverpool, with City being his second choice, so Amorim faces a struggle to convince him.”
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Tottenham, on the other hand, are not expected to have a say in the race despite being prepared to make Semenyo their highest-paid player.
Manchester United have presented their vision for Semenyo, while City are desperate to ease the goal pressure on Haaland. However, if The Guardian’s report is accurate, it is Liverpool who will sign Semenyo if they pursue a deal.
Semenyo wants Liverpool… will Liverpool have Semenyo?
Fabrizio Romano recently confirmed that Liverpool questioned Senenyo’s situation back in November.
Many of the headlines surrounding Semenyo since have been dominated by the Manchester clubs, but sources continue to stress to us that Liverpool are very much in the picture.
The Reds still have money to spend despite their huge spending last summer. The lucrative sales of stars such as Caoimhin Kelleher, Jarell Quansah, Tyler Morton, Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez mean that more signings can be made without breaching PSR regulations.
Furthermore, it has been confirmed to us that Liverpool’s interest in Semenyo predates the recent Mohamed Salah saga. It is NOT the case that Semenyo will only join if Salah leaves next month. Of course, convincing Salah that he still has a big role at Liverpool would be more difficult if a new winger like Semenyo arrived.
Another piece of history that works in Liverpool’s favour is the presence of Richard Hughes. He serves as Liverpool’s sporting director and is the man who previously signed Semenyo at Bournemouth while working as their sporting director.
While there is still a lot to negotiate, the signs now suggest that Liverpool will sign Semenyo in January if they trigger the £65 million release clause.
