Breaking down Man Utd chances of hijacking Semenyo deal after Amorim meets star for private dinner | OneFootball

Manchester United are highly unlikely to be drawn into the transfer chase for Antoine Semenyo in January after two top sources outlined where Ruben Amorim’s priorities lie and with the Red Devils putting all their energies into another target instead.

The Red Devils invested heavily into strengthening their attack this summer, spending well over £200m on the likes of Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko. And while the triple coup is starting to pay dividends, Manchester United could have added a different dimension to their attack had they instead opted to pursue Semenyo.

Indeed, it has since emerged that United had a very serious interest in the 25-year-old Bournemouth star, with Amorim even meeting the player for dinner to discuss a prospective move.

That’s according to transfer journalist, Duncan Castles, who claims Amorim met with the player to assess his personality and with the United boss ultimately informing club bosses he felt the player had what it takes to become a success at Old Trafford.

That comes after David Ornstein had previously described the Portuguese as being “very fond” of the Bournemouth star.

However, United’s unwillingness to pay more than £55m saw the deal collapse and ultimately saw the winger sign a new five-year deal with the Cherries.

This week, though, it has emerged that Semenyo‘s deal contains a release clause worth just £60m, plus £5m in add-ons to prise him away from the Vitality Stadium and sparking something of a mad scramble for the Ghana international.

And while sources have revealed it is Liverpool “ahead in the race”, the player continues to be linked with other sides, most notably Tottenham Hotspur and Man Utd.

Despite that, both The Athletic and our own, Fraser Fletcher, are playing down the prospects of United rekindling a move for Semenyo in January, with the former describing a potential move to Old Trafford as ‘difficult’.

Fletcher, meanwhile, insists while United still very much admire the player, their priorities in the January window and beyond lie elsewhere, with the club’s entire focus now shifted on upgrading their midfield and with three major targets the priority over the next two to three transfer windows…

What went down in that dinner meeting between Amorim and Semenyo?

According to Castles, Amorim met Semenyo for dinner in a London restaurant to discuss a potential move north over the summer and prior to the player inking his extension at the Vitality Stadium.

Castles told The Transfers Podcast: “They used the same strategy with Cunha and Mbeumo in that they agreed personal terms with Semenyo before attempting to agree a fee with Bournemouth.

“They even had Amorim take him for a meal in London at the end of the season so Amorim could judge his character – again a similar process to Cunha and Mbeumo.”

United’s prospects of signing Semenyo ultimately failed when he committed instead to the Cherries, though Castles also explains that United’s willingness to only pay the player 70% of the salaries offered to Mbeumo and Cunha also derailed the prospective deal.

Furthermore, rival interest from Tottenham, coupled with United’s willingness to spend £62.5m to meet Cunha’s exit clause, meant the Cherries felt in a strong position to reject United’s approach and amid a suggestion they were not prepared to spend more than £55m on a player they rated at nearer the £70m bracket.

While Semenyo was a player who ultimately slipped through their net, Castles is adamant he was a player they could have signed in addition to both Cunha and Mbeumo, if the price was right.

And while the interest in the player remains, he is unlikely to be a priority for United, leaving his other suitors free to battle it out.

Meanwhile, Paul Scholes has endorsed United’s pursuit of Elliot Anderson, but the Old Trafford legend wants Amorim to play the Nottingham Forest midfielder in a different role from what he is used to.

On that new midfielder hunt, our transfer correspondent, Dean Jones, has revealed Crystal Palace’s stance around a mid-season sale of Adam Wharton, amid speculation that the Red Devils have already ‘submitted’ a ‘bid’ for the midfielder that Amorim ‘loves’.

Elsewhere,  United have been confirmed as one of the clubs to have held talks with super-agent Jorge Mendes over a move to sign Borussia Dortmund attacker Karim Adeyemi next year, though .