Semenyo to Man City transfer sparks immediate casualty as Tottenham await green light to sign £61m target | OneFootball

Tottenham Hotspur are expected to make a beeline to sign a now-unwanted Manchester City star in the wake of Pep Guardiola’s move for Antoine Semenyo, according to sources, with the knock-on effect set to see a £47.5m man allowed to leave Spurs.

The first major transfer of the winter window will be completed early on after it emerged on Tuesday evening that Manchester City have won the race for Semenyo, beating off interest from Manchester United and Tottenham, who had also made strong proposals, as well as other big-six suitors Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool.

The real reason the Bournemouth flyer has been chosen by Guardiola was exclusively revealed by a source close to the club on Tuesday evening, just hours after the deal was confirmed.

Ultimately, Semenyo has been won over by the chance to win silverware. We are told by sources close to the player that he was open to Old Trafford, but the fact that City’s project would see him pushing to win both the Premier League and Champions League has tempted him to the Etihad.

He is now set to complete a £65m (£60m plus £5m in add-ons) move to the Etihad quickly after the window opens.

While Tottenham’s interest in Semenyo was quickly batted off – we understand they were willing to put up wages that would have made the departing Bournemouth man their highest-paid player – Thomas Frank and Co. could soon land a left-wing upgrade of their own, which we understand is their number one priority for the January window.

And speaking last week, our transfer correspondent Dean Jones believes there will now be an overhaul of Man City’s wing department – leaving one of them, in Savinho, to head to Tottenham.

Spurs initially held talks with the Brazilian over the summer, without failing to agree a deal. Now, according to Jones, the 21-year-old now looks likely to get clearance to leave and make a long-awaited move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium…

Tottenham on standby for Savinho move; another City star could leave too

Per Jones, Semenyo linking up with Guardiola was always likely to start an overhaul of City’s winger ranks.

And when asked about the situation, Jones told us that Savinho and Oscar Bobb are both under threat.

“Savinho got 20 minutes off the bench against West Ham United, and recently that’s been about the best he can hope for in the league,” the journalist said.

“If City win the race to sign Semenyo, I really do think there is fresh doubt about Savinho’s place in the squad.

“It’ll be a big decision because they only just gave him a new deal, but I still question why they did that.

“Tottenham definitely made a mark on him, and from what I’m told, he seemed interested, because he would become such a significant player for them.

“City also have a decision to make on Oscar Bobb if offers come in, and it’s a situation where I can potentially see some movement.

“But I do think the interest in Savinho is still there from Spurs if their other targets like Semenyo, Maghnes Akliouche and Yan Diomande prove out of reach.”

However, Jones has since explained why moves for Akliouche and Diomande will prove beyond them in January.

Back in the summer,  Spurs failed to meet City’s €70million (£61m, $82.5m) asking price, which saw the Brazilian stay put and sign a new contract at the Etihad.

Bobb’s price tag has yet to emerge, though previous reports have valued him at €25m (£22m, $30m).

And with the winger merry-go-round set to go into full swing, Savinho’s potential arrival at Spurs is likely to see Brennan Johnson depart the north London club.

Frank does not rate the Wales winger and has recently emerged as a target for both Crystal Palace and Bournemouth. However, we understand it is Aston Villa who have now jumped into the race and would appear favourites for his signature.

City sources also believe the club are beginning to seriously consider strengthening their defensive depth next month, too, with Etihad chiefs open to adding a top-level centre-back to Guardiola’s squad.

Any swoop could be funded by the departure of a £41m man, who has interest from Fulham, Crystal Palace, West Ham and Bournemouth ahead of January.

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