Manchester City are prepared to make an immediate statement on day one of the January transfer window by signing a Liverpool target who can help overhaul Arsenal, according to a report.
Arsenal are the Premier League’s runaway leaders at present and all the signs point towards their gap increasing as months tick by.
Man City only narrowly kept in touch with Arsenal on Saturday when requiring an injury-time winner to beat newly-promoted Leeds United.
Their over-reliance on Erling Haaland is well documented this term. Aside from the Norwegian, only Phil Foden has scored more than once in the Premier League for Pep Guardiola’s side.
To remedy that problem, a report from The Times now claims City are giving serious thought to activating Antoine Semenyo’s release clause on New Year’s Day.
The Bournemouth ace, 25, can be signed in the first half of January for £60m plus £5m in add-ons. Liverpool are among his many suitors, but per The Times, the Reds ideally don’t want to spend a penny in January.
It’s important to note at this point that the article was written partly by Paul Joyce, who is arguably the most reliable of all journalists when it comes to Liverpool news.
The report read: ‘Liverpool have also been linked with the 25-year-old — their sporting director, Richard Hughes signed him for Bournemouth when he worked at the south-coast club — although they had not planned to enter the winter transfer window after spending more than £400million on new signings in the summer.’
If Liverpool do take a pass, Man City could capitalise and it’s noted they ‘could buy the exciting Bournemouth winger when the transfer window re-opens on New Year’s Day.’
Bournemouth are powerless to prevent an exit due to the release clause. As such, City would just need to agree personal terms with Semenyo and have the winger pass a medical. The idea Semenyo could wrap up a transfer on day one of the window opening is very much viable.
Doing so would provide City with an immediate boost at a time when they’ll be without Omar Marmoush (Egypt), who will be at AFCON. Semenyo’s Ghana did not qualify.
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In other news, Liverpool have ‘made inquiries’ into the signing of an Everton forward in what could become a historic transfer.
Elsewhere,why Liverpool are extremely unlikely to go down the Jurgen Klopp route in their search for a replacement for Arne Slot if they decide to sack their current manager has been revealed.
Over at the Etihad, The Daily Mail reports City have determined their No 1 midfield target and unfortunately for Manchester United, it’s a player the Red Devils had ambitions of signing.
And finally, Man Utd and Arsenal are poised to join Manchester City in thepursuit of Newcastle United star Tino Livramento, according to a report, while our transfer correspondent Dean Jones has explained why the 23-year-old ‘can’t lose’.