Bournemouth head coach Andoni Iraola has addressed reports suggesting Antoine Semenyo could be sold amid strong interest from several Premier League giants. The Ghana international has a £65million release clause in his Bournemouth contract, which is active during the January transfer window, opening on January 1.
Widespread media reports claim that Chelsea, Liverpool, Man City and Man United are all monitoring the situation closely and could consider triggering the clause. Semenyo is currently joint-third in the Premier League’s Golden Boot race, having scored eight goals this season, including strikes in each of his last two appearances. Overall, the forward has recorded 28 goals and 10 assists in 97 Premier League appearances, underlining his growing reputation as one of the division’s most consistent attackers.
Bournemouth experienced significant squad turnover during the summer transfer window, with defenders Dean Huijsen (Real Madrid), Illia Zabarnyi (Paris Saint-Germain) and Milos Kerkez (Liverpool), as well as winger Dango Ouattara (Brentford), all departing the club. Despite regularly selling players to clubs, Bournemouth’s progress has not stalled. The Cherries currently sit 15th in the Premier League table with 22 points, maintaining a comfortable position midway through the season.
“You never know what is going to happen,” Iraola said in his press conference for the trip to Brentford on December 27. “In the summer there were a lot of movements. I don’t know what’s going to happen in the winter movements. At the end, you sign a contract and understand that both parties are happy when you sign it. But me as a coach, I can only tell you I hope we don’t lose him, because he is very important for us. I don’t know what is going to happen. I can’t control what’s going to happen. Antoine, for me, has been performing very well. Not just the last two games where he has scored. He has consistently been very good since the beginning. Even when not scoring, he is still valuable for us. At the end, we don’t just demand numbers. It is no secret he is a massive player for us.”
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