Antoine Semenyo stance on January transfer revealed as Manchester City weigh £65M bid | OneFootball

Manchester City transfer target Antoine Semenyo would prefer to stay in England over moving abroad should he leave Bournemouth in January, according to reports. 

Having started the season in fine form by scoring six goals and assisting three times in 11 Premier League games, the Cherries’ coveted attacker has attracted interest from elite clubs across Europe, including Manchester City – who have been overly reliant on Erling Haaland to deliver the goods this term.

City slipped to third place in the Premier League table this weekend owing to a 2-1 defeat away at Newcastle, which allowed league leaders and title favourites Arsenal to open up a six-point lead at the top of the tree after a stylish 4-1 victory over Tottenham on Sunday.

Guardiola has raised concerns over his side’s dependence on Haaland, an injury to whom as the season progresses is likely to effectively rule Manchester City out of the title race – such has been the extent of the Blues’ reliance on the Norway international this term.

City’s lack of depth in attack is perhaps Guardiola’s biggest concern at the moment and while the likes of Rayan Cherki and Jeremy Doku have shouldered greater responsibility in recent weeks, Haaland is arguably the be-all and end-all of City’s goalscoring threat as things stand.

Injuries to key players and a collective drop in form were key frailties for Manchester City’s 2024-25 campaign, which Guardiola deemed as his most challenging season at the Etihad Stadium as the Blues finished third in the Premier League, exited the UEFA Champions League and lost the 2025 FA Cup final to Crystal Palace.

The Blues are not expected to be very active in the January 2026 transfer window but the last few weeks have seen City linked with a possible swoop for Bournemouth and Ghana forward Antoine Semenyo, who could be on the move from the Vitality Stadium in a few months.

The 25-year-old has a £65 million release clause that gets activated in January, broken down as a £60 million guaranteed fee with another £5 million in add-ons.

The clause, which was introduced when Semenyo signed a new contract with the Cherries over the summer, means a mid-season exit is out of Bournemouth’s control and rather in the hands of the player and clubs willing to meet the demand. 

Now, according to talkSPORT, the Ghana international would not have extended without the ability to leave the club and prefers to stay in England despite interest from major European teams, such as AC Milan.

It remains to be known where Manchester City stand on a mid-season move for the 25-year-old, who has established himself as one of the most feared attackers in England under Andoni Iraola in recent seasons.

Semenyo’s potential inclusion into Guardiola’s side softens any injury worries if they occur but more importantly, it would show further advancements under new sporting director Hugo Viana, who conducted a major overhaul of the squad in the summer.

Viana, who stepped into the shoes of long-serving Manchester City executive Txiki Begiristain, helped bring in mounds of talent at the Etihad Stadium – overseeing the signings of Gianluigi Donnarumma, Cherki, Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Ait-Nouri. 

Semenyo, a powerful and direct attacker, has also been tracked by Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United – as the choice is ultimately in the hands of the Bournemouth star. 

Liverpool are another club to be monitoring the winger closely and are still in the market for another attacker despite Arne Slot adding Alexander Isak, Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz to his squad in the summer – all of which cost nearly £320 million. 

While Semenyo would face tough competition for a place on the right side of Liverpool’s attack, Mohamed Salah will depart for the Africa Cup of Nations in December and could miss up to 10 games for the Premier League champions, providing Slot the opportunity to ease the Ghanaian in.