Andoni Iraola reveals bold Bournemouth belief around Antoine Semenyo amid Manchester City chase | OneFootball

Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola has revealed a belief that Antoine Semenyo will be available for their next game, despite an ongoing chase from Manchester City.

The comments arrive at a critical moment in an ever-developing transfer saga, with City accelerating discussions in recent days as they look to conclude a January deal for the Ghana international.

While reports have suggested a move to the Etihad Stadium could be finalised imminently, Bournemouth appear keen to project calm and continuity ahead of a demanding run of fixtures.

From Manchester City’s side, the pursuit of Antoine Semenyo has been framed as a strategic move to address a perceived lack of consistent goal output from wide areas. Pep Guardiola has been a driving force behind interest, with officials pushing to resolve the situation swiftly amid competition and an active release clause early in January.

Bournemouth, however, continue to plan as though Semenyo remains part of Iraola’s immediate tactial plans. Despite acknowledging the scale of interest, the Cherries’ head coach has repeatedly emphasised performance levels and availability.

Speaking to Sky Sports ahead of Bournemouth’s Premier League clash with Chelsea on Tuesday night, Iraola said of his Ghanaian forward, “I think Antoine [Semenyo] is performing very well and I expect him to be available also next game [against Arsenal].”

Iraola continued, “And I hope he continues playing the same way… There’s a lot of noise around him but my worry as a coach is he can keep the performance level he’s having.”

Those remarks follow earlier admissions from Iraola that Semenyo’s situation is largely outside his control, while also reinforcing Bournemouth’s desire to keep the attacker involved for as long as possible.

Manchester City, for their part, remain keen to have the transfer wrapped up quickly, with positive talks having taken place over both personal terms and the structure of the £65 million release clause. Recent updates have indicated Bournemouth are expecting the move to be formalised soon.

If Semenyo does feature again for the Cherries following their clash with Chelsea prior to the turn of the year, it could underline Bournemouth’s negotiating stance and Andoni Iraola’s determination to maximise the player’s contribution on the pitch.

Equally, Manchester City will be conscious of balancing urgency with pragmatism as they look to add a new attacking option ahead of the second half of the season.