Arsenal and Tottenham will go head-to-head both on and off the pitch in the coming weeks.placeholder image
Arsenal and Tottenham will go head-to-head both on and off the pitch in the coming weeks. | AFP via Getty Images
One Premier League star is set to be at the centre of a massive transfer battle in 2026
Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur will go to battle on Sunday as the North London Derby returns for the first time this season. The Gunners have form and recent history on their side, but it will prove a tense spectacle for all those involved.
The Gunners have led the Premier League table since the start of October and have not looked back since taking advantage of Liverpool’s rapid decline in form to take the initiative as new leaders. While Spurs have had a strong start to life under Thomas Frank, despite a few poor home results - but their away form will give Lilywhites fans confidence ahead of Sunday.
With December already fast approaching us, the time is nigh to prepare for the winter transfer window opening in January. Clubs up and down the Premier League have already begun drawing up their wish lists for the festive season, with one player appearing to be in high demand ahead of the frantic mid-season window.
Arsenal and Tottenham in five-way transfer battle for Antoine Semenyo
According to reports by talkSPORT, Arsenal and Tottenham are already embroiled in the midst of a five-way transfer battle for Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo, who is hot property ahead of a reported £65million release clause becoming active for the early part of the January transfer window.
The report states that the 25-year-old ‘favours staying in the Premier League’ if he were to depart the Vitality Stadium, amidst claims that five of the ‘big six’ are set to compete for the Ghanaian’s signature. Those clubs in question are Arsenal, Spurs, Liverpool, Manchester United and Manchester City, with Chelsea thought not to be in the race due to their recent stockpiling of wingers.
The release clause is reported to be an initial £60m plus £5m in add-ons, and the report continues that this clause was a ‘deal-breaker’ when Semenyo signed a new deal with the Cherries in the summer. It is understood that he would not have extended his stay on the south coast had there not been the possibility to leave ‘in the next two windows’. His release clause drops to a fee in excess of £50m should he remain at Bournemouth in summer 2026.
Semenyo has already registered six goals and three assists in the Premier League in 2025/26, and his release clause is thought to be of ‘excellent value’ both in January and in summer 2026. Bournemouth would not like their star player to leave mid-season, but are ‘powerless’ to his exit if the right offer were to arrive and the player wants to leave.
Liverpool are cited to be the front-runners at present but Spurs could return with a bid having seen an approach rejected in the summer, while Arsenal are ‘alert’ to the prospect of a new winger. It will make keen viewing to see how this story develops as the window approaches.
‘That’s the aim’ - Semenyo reveals Arsenal preference in old interview
"I am an Arsenal fan. I don't conflict the two with my job. It is great to play against Arsenal, a team I have watched all my life and I want to play for the top clubs as well. In order for that to happen, I need to prove it.
"Any team that plays Champions League, Europa [League] - that's the aim. I know that's not going to come with a click of my fingers, it's going to take some time. It's going to take goals. It's going to take a lot of consistent performances. But I've worked all my life for that and I'm just going to continue working hard. That's my mentality."
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