Both Manchester City and Liverpool have struggled to break into true form this season. While they each came into the current campaign with plenty of hype, neither of them have made a strong impression at the top of the Premier League table.
The two teams have turned their eye to the January transfer window to improve their fortunes and they have each identified a mutual targets – Bournemouth star man Antoine Semenyo.
According to a report from The Times, City are considering the possibility of putting forth a transfer offer, but Liverpool are thought to be ‘huge admirers’ of the player and will likely provide the Sky Blues with competition for his signature.
Should either of them submit an offer, it is likely to trigger a major bidding war – but why do they want him in the first place? Let’s take a look.
Antoine Semenyo’s performance so far this season
Games Goals Assists
12 6 3
Semenyo has been the star of the show for Bournemouth this season. The Cherries have exceeded expectations so far in 2025/26, with Semenyo spearheading their success.
His fantastic movement and electric pace, combined with his underrated physicality, make him very difficult for defenders to reliably deal with. To keep him quiet, teams are required to have two players watching him at all times, as he can easily glide past a solitary defender and get in behind.
His end product is solid, too – Semenyo has scored six goals and has notched up three assists so far this season. He is at his best when cutting inside and taking on defenders in the box, as his crossing can be somewhat wayward. As things stand, he has a cross completion rate of just 17%.
Furthermore, as a side note, Semenyo will not be leaving his current club to play in the Africa Cup of Nations, despite being a Ghanaian international. Despite being one of the most successful African footballing nations historically, the Black Stars failed to qualify for AFCON 2025.
This isn’t something that can be ascribed to Semenyo’s ability in any way, but it is something that any team opting to sign him in January won’t need to worry about.
Who would benefit more from signing Antoine Semenyo?
Manchester City have a young, vibrant attacking force at the moment. The Citizens’ main woes lie in their midfield and their backline – there are few criticisms to be had of them when it comes to the final third.
Liverpool, on the other hand, have been struggling on this front in 2025/26. Mohamed Salah’s form has fallen off a cliff, while Alexander Isak has been a disappointment – only Cody Gakpo and Hugo Ekitike have provided reliable sources of goal contributions for the Reds so far this season.
On top of this, Liverpool failed to replace Luis Diaz in the summer, who left the club to join Bayern Munich in the summer. Should they bring Semenyo, he could be an ideal replacement for the Columbian international.
However, Liverpool famously spent a fortune in the summer – their £446m transfer spend was the most spent by an English football in a single window ever. They may not have the wiggle room to put forth a £65m bid, lest they run the risk of facing Financial Fair Play repercussions in the future.
Could any other teams make a move?
With AFCON on the horizon and Man United liable to be without star man Bryan Mbeumo for at least a period, you never know Ruben Amorim’s team could make a move especially given the injury to Benjamin Sesko.
Whether the Red-Devils can finance a move remains to be seen given their need for midfield help with Forests’s Elliot Anderson seemingly the man they want, but Semenyo would be a major transfer coup.