Liverpool may have found their next Sadio Maneplaceholder image
Liverpool may have found their next Sadio Mane | Getty Images
Liverpool might have finally found their next Sadio Mane with personally terms reportedly agreed with one of their Janaury targets
Liverpool have wasted no time planting seeds ahead of the January transfer window, and a thrilling new reports puts them right in the thick of landing a leading target.
Like any top target, Semenyo has multiple potential suitors monitoring his situation at Bournemouth. Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes is a ‘huge admirer’ of the Ghana international, having signed him for the Cherries in 2023 for just £10 million.
Now working with Liverpool, Hughes is hoping to be reunited with Semenyo, who the club hope will help transform their attack.
Liverpool ‘agreed personal terms’ with Antoine Semenyo
According to an eye-popping report from Caught Offside, Liverpool have ‘agreed personal terms’ with Semenyo and have matched the offer made by rivals Manchester City.
The Reds have been in talks with the 25-year-old over a January move and it’s now looking likely that he will be leaving the Vitality Stadium, but his destination is unconfirmed for the time being.
With Liverpool and City both appealing to Semenyo, he must now make the decision between the two Premier League heavyweights. Whoever gets the green light, they must pay the winger’s £65 million release clause. However, this figure will expire before January 10th and it will not be valid for the remainder of the month.
Liverpool have golden chance to sign next Sadio Mane
Liverpool have signed some spectacular forwards over the years and many are still missed to this day. Despite Mohamed Salah’s dip in form this season, he will be sorely missed when he eventually moves on from Anfield.
Salah’s former winger partner Sadio Mane is another figure who was a superb asset to the club and many would argue Liverpool still feel his absence sometimes.
While the Reds have signed players capable of scoring, assisting and taking on versatile roles, the profile and essence of a player like Mane is hard to replace.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain summed up the Senegal star’s influence well: “Sadio Mane was like a lifeline. Whenever we were having a nightmare as a team, you could just pass the ball to him. He’d leap for the ball, elbows out in every direction, control it on his chest, and create something out of nothing!”
Like Mane, Semenyo is not afraid to challenge defenders and break up the opposition backline to create chances. Both are snap reactive to mistakes and hesitation - pouncing on any opportunity to take the ball forwards and threaten the goalkeeper.
Just as Mane was able to ‘create something out of nothing’ and often turn a game on its head when Liverpool needed it the most, Semenyo is often that clutch player for Bournemouth.
On seven occasions last season, Semenyo played his part in being the difference between a draw and a loss, or a win and draw for Bournemouth. These included his goal against Fulham for a 1-0 win, efforts to secure draws against Chelsea and Manchester United, plus his brace to beat Leicester City 2-0 in the final game of the season.
While Semenyo has been angled as a long-term replacement for Salah, the Ghanaian can play confidently on the left-wing as well. Versatility is something Liverpool have valued for years and this just ticks another box for what the Reds are looking for long-term.
Continue Reading