Antoine Semenyo.placeholder image
Antoine Semenyo. | Getty Images
Manchester City are looking to strengthen again in January but who is at the top of Pep Guardiola’s shopping list?
It is looking less and less likely that Antoine Semenyo will still be residing on the south coast when the January transfer window closes.
The much-reported £65m release clause that is active in the first 10 days of the new year has Manchester City, Liverpool , Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham all considering getting the chequebook out to sign the Bournemouth flyer with eight goals and three assists in 16 appearances.
The sort of return that will always have the top teams interested. City are the top goalscorers in the league and the summer signings like Rayan Cherki have started to click with Phil Foden back in form and proving that he could be the player who replaces Kevin de Bruyne after all.
Man City look to sign Antoine Semenyo
So, why does Guardiola want Semenyo and what is the latest in City’s pursuit of the 25-year old Ghana international? According to Talksport’s Alex Crook, the interest has gone beyond having his name on a lengthy January shopping list: “But yeah, I think the Antoine Semenya situation is going to be a big talking point. Certainly, for the first half of January, we broke exclusively had a release clause in his contract.
“That does indeed become active in the January transfer window. There is a cut-off point, I think, around about halfway through the month by which clubs need to activate it. We know that Liverpool are keen.
“There's obviously a link there with Richard Hughes that the sporting director who signed Semenyo from Bristol City for Bournemouth in the first place, Manchester United are certainly in the race as well, and Tottenham, although I'd make them outsiders at this moment in time. But we can report Manchester City have held talks with Antoine Semenyo. So Pep Guardiola, very much part of the pursuit as well.”
Why does Guardiola want Semenyo?
Crook added that it isn’t just because Semenyo is available why Guardiola wants to take him to the Etihad: “And it's worth pointing out, isn't it, Gabby (Agbonlahor), that one of the concerns that Pep Guardiola has had this season is this not getting enough goals from wide areas. Semenyo is one of those who can deliver that.”
Semenyo might not get as much space playing for City as he does at Bournemouth, but he has similar traits to Raheem Sterling in terms of getting into goalscoring positions and having the pace to cause defenders problems.
Only Haaland and Foden have reached double figures for City so far this season with Tijjani Reinjders the next highest on four. Jeremy Doku has three in 22 games, Oscar Bobb has none in 15 and Savinho has two in 21 appearances, hardly the sort of return that delivers Champions League titles or could support the nightmare scenario of Haaland getting injured. Semenyo knows how to score goals and Pep is going back to a tried and tested formula.
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