Chelsea will have to watch Antoine Semenyo join one of their Premier League rivals in January.
Semenyo has a £65m release clause in his contract, and it is almost guaranteed that it will be triggered next month.
Manchester City are thought to be winning the race for his signature, while Chelsea did show some interest in the winger on Tuesday.
Chelsea could still sign a new attacker after cooling their interest in Antoine Semenyo. Who would you target, or are you content with Alejandro Garnacho and Jamie Gittens?
Antoine Semenyo in action during Sunderland v Bournemouth - Premier League
Photo by Robin Jones – AFC Bournemouth/AFC Bournemouth via Getty Images
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However, Chelsea will now monitor other attackers after deciding not to pursue a deal for Semenyo.
Antoine Semenyo of AFC Bournemouth reacts during the Premier League match between Bournemouth and Burnley
Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images
Antoine Semenyo wasn’t interested in joining Chelsea
Even if Chelsea did decide to follow up their enquiry for Semenyo with a bid, they still probably would not have signed him.
Journalist Rahman Osman has claimed on X that Semenyo is not interested in the club’s project, so it would have been difficult to convince him to move to Stamford Bridge.
Whoever ends up with the 25-year-old will be delighted, as he is such a dangerous forward.
Since the start of last season, Semenyo has registered 27 goal contributions in 53 Premier League appearances.
Antoine Semenyo looks good in Blue 🙌
At £65 million, should Chelsea sign him in January?
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He scored against Chelsea during the 2024/25 campaign, helping Bournemouth to draw 2-2 with Enzo Maresca’s side at Stamford Bridge.
It has been claimed that Chelsea actually wanted Semenyo in the summer, so he did not become a new target for the Blues this week.
Antoine Semenyo of Bournemouth during the Premier League match between Bournemouth and Burnley
Photo by Robin Jones – AFC Bournemouth/AFC Bournemouth via Getty Images
Who Chelsea could sign instead of Antoine Semenyo
As mentioned earlier, Chelsea could still recruit an attacker in 2026 despite cooling their interest in Semenyo.
Morgan Rogers would be the dream signing as he continues to shine at Aston Villa. The 23-year-old recently grabbed a brace against Manchester United and is thought to be someone Chelsea appreciate.
Rogers is an attacking midfielder but can also play on the left, which is where Semenyo probably would have started at Chelsea.
The Club World Cup winners have also been linked with Juventus’ Kenan Yildiz, but both the Turkey international and Rogers will cost huge money and are unlikely to be available until next summer.
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