Report: Richard Hughes is a ‘big admirer’ of red-hot forward who Jamie Redknapp dubbed ‘unique’ | OneFootball

Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes is reportedly a ‘big admirer’ of one player who’s already had some joy against the Reds this season.

Arne Slot’s forward line underwent significant transition during the summer, in part due to the tragic loss of Diogo Jota, with Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez leaving for pastures new while Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak came to Anfield.

The LFC transfer chief also raided his former club Bournemouth for left-back Milos Kerkez, and it’s believed that he has eyes on another standout player from his alma mater.

Liverpool chief Hughes is a ‘big admirer’ of Antoine Semenyo

According to Alex Crook for talkSPORT, Hughes is a ‘big admirer’ of Cherries hotshot Antoine Semenyo, whose excellent start to the season has the south coast club ‘braced for serious interest’ in the 25-year-old.

Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United continue to monitor the Ghana winger, to whom both clubs spoke during the summer, and Bournemouth are understood to value the player at a whopping £75m.

The current Liverpool sporting director brought him to the Vitality Stadium from Bristol City for a mere £10.5m in January 2023.

(Photo by Steve Bardens/Getty Images)

Could Hughes engineer a second transfer for Semenyo?

Semenyo’s brace for the Cherries in their 4-2 defeat at Anfield on the opening night of the season has set the tone for a run of form which has seen him net six Premier League goals already this term, a tally bettered only by Erling Haaland and amounting to nearly 50% of the Reds’ entire top-flight haul of 13.

After another double for Bournemouth against Fulham last Friday, Jamie Redknapp waxed lyrical about the 25-year-old on Sky Sports as he dubbed him a ‘unique’ forward with a combination of ‘power, finesse and finishing ability’ who thrives under the spotlight.

The Cherries winger is equally comfortable on either flank, a versatility that Slot would surely welcome, and a tally of 26 goals in the English top flight indicates that he’s more than capable of excelling in this division.

Semenyo has reportedly been on Liverpool’s radar since 2024, so Hughes’ admiration for him isn’t a knee-jerk reaction to his scintillating recent form, and the two have a pre-existing relationship from the Ghanaian’s aforementioned transfer to the Vitality Stadium.

Could the Reds’ sporting director use that to his advantage, just as he did with the acquisition of Kerkez over the summer? It’s a trump card he might become increasingly tempted to play if the Bournemouth star continues to score for fun on the south coast…