Manchester City holding talks over £65M Antoine Semenyo release clause activation | OneFootball

Manchester City are considering the activation of Antoine Semenyo’s £65 million release clause in the January transfer window, as per a new report.

Semenyo has been strongly linked with a mid-season exit from the Vitality Stadium in recent weeks and clubs across the Premier League have been alerted to the Ghana international’s desire for a new challenge as early as potentially January 2026.

The 25-year-old has attracted interest from abroad but is believed to be keen to stay in England, with Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool among the chasing pack for one of the most feared attackers in the English top-flight.

City desperately need reinforcements in attack should they want to challenge Arsenal thick and thin in the title race, having been unreasonably over-reliant on Erling Haaland to deliver in front of goal since the start of the season.

Phil Foden’s brace ensured Manchester City avoid a third disappointing result in a week on Saturday as the England international netted a monumental winner in injury time to secure a 3-2 win for his boyhood club over Leeds United at the Etihad Stadium.

Arsenal are leading the title race as things stand and set another marker down with three points over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday evening, with all eyes on Mikel Arteta’s formidable group of players after their sensational start to the 2025-26 campaign.

Meanwhile, City are undergoing a period of transition on the pitch after a squad revamp in the summer transfer window following the appointment of Hugo Viana as the club’s director of football in the backdrop of a dismal, trophyless 2024-25 season.

The Blues urgently need inspiration in attack and despite the recent form of Jeremy Doku and a rejuvenated Foden, Semenyo can give Manchester City and Pep Guardiola a timely boost as they aim to win a fifth Premier League title in six seasons.

As reported by Paul Hirst writing for Times Sport, Manchester City are mulling over the possibility of triggering Semenyo’s £65 million release clause at Bournemouth in the upcoming transfer window – with an internal belief at the club that the Ghanian’s addition can fuel a title charge against Arsenal in the second half of the campaign.

Clubs across the Premier League’s top end who can offer Semenyo the chance to play in the UEFA Champions League are expected to be frontrunners for the winger, who has established himself as one of England’s best forwards in recent seasons under Andoni Iraola.

It remains to be seen whether City make a formal approach to Bournemouth for Semenyo, who will also be on the market next summer should he end up staying at the Vitality Stadium beyond January 2026 – with no guarantee as yet though that Viana and co will step up their pursuit and indeed trigger the release clause.

Manchester City can give their title hopes a much-needed boost with the acquisition of Semenyo, who can offer some relief to Haaland and shoulder some of the goalscoring burden the Norwegian has single-handedly carried since Julian Alvarez left the club in 2024.