Manchester City’s first-choice attacking options are amongst some of the best in the Premier League. Erling Haaland is the leading scorer in the Premier League and has been largely unstoppable. Rayan Cherki has been flourishing, and Phil Foden is looking back to his best.
Yet, Pep Guardiola does seem reluctant at times to use the full extent of his squad in those forward areas. Perhaps the best example of that is Omar Marmoush, who has only played 206 minutes in the Premier League this term. Oscar Bobb and Sabvnho have only played 467 minutes apiece.
Manchester City's Oscar Bobb in action
Thus, City are looking to add another attacker to the squad this winter, with Antoine Semenyo a real option.
What Semenyo could add to City’s attack
It does seem like City will push to sign Bournemouth winger Semenyo this winter. The former Bristol City star is a key target for Guardiola’s side, and they will go up against rivals Manchester United to get his signature.
AFC Bournemouth's Antoine Semenyo during the warm up before the match
If this deal were to get over the line, there are certainly a lot of positives to Semenyo’s game. He has been sensational for the Cherries this term, with eight goals and three assists in 16 appearances so far.
However, he will bring so much more than goals to this City side. The Ghanaian winger is an “explosive” attacker, according to football scout Ben Mattinson. He thrives in transitional scenarios and could add a new dynamic to this City squad in that sense.
His versatility will be a huge benefit for City’s Spanish manager, too. Guardiola can depend on Semenyo to play on either wing, with Mattinson noting he has “both footed ball striking” ability. The forward can even operate up front, as he has done under Andoni Iraola for Bournemouth.
Antoine Semenyo
However, if City had decided against releasing a former academy star, they may have been able to save a fortune on Semenyo this summer.
Big-money star is better than Semenyo 8 years after leaving
Over the last few seasons, City’s academy has produced some excellent footballers. Perhaps the most notable two are surely Phil Foden and Cole Palmer, who are key players at international level for England.
However, it might be a little-known fact that Bayern Munich and France star Michael Olise was once in the Citizens’ academy. The ex-Crystal Palace man represented the club for one season at youth level before moving to Reading in 2017.
michael-olise-bayern-munich
Of course, his career has gone from strength to strength since becoming a professional player. He shone in the Premier League for Palace before moving to Bayern, where he has established himself as a world beater.
The London-born attacker has played 80 times for the Bundesliga giants. In that time, Olise has scored 30 goals and amassed an impressive 37 assists. He’s also become a first-choice starter for France under Didier Deschamps, alongside the likes of Kylian Mbappe.
Bayern legend Karl-Heinz Rummenigge certainly knows a thing or two about making it to the top in Bavaria. He has been full of praise for Olise since his move, putting him on the same pedestal as legendary duo Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery.
arjen-robben-bayern-munich
His numbers compared to Semenyo are nothing short of sensational. For example, the French winger is averaging 2.92 key passes and 1.15 goal-creating actions per 90 minutes, compared to the Cherries winger's 1.44 key passes and 0.44 goal-creating actions each game.
Olise & Semenyo key stats compared
Stat (per 90)
Goals and assists
Key passes
Goal-creating actions
Take-ons completed
Progressive carries
Stats from FBref
Signing Semenyo this winter would be quite the coup for City; there is no doubt about that. However, if they had kept hold of Olise all those years ago, they might not have needed to add the Cherries star to their attack.
Michael Olise in action for Bayern Munich
Now, the French star is valued at a reported £100m, and there are no links at present, so it seems unlikely City will move for him. But their fans may well look back on that and wonder what could have been.
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