Iraola did little to hide how highly he values Semenyo, reiterating his wish to keep the attacker at the club for as long as circumstances allow.
"No, the more games Antoine can play for us, [the better]," Iraola said when asked whether Bournemouth might prefer an early sale. "If he can play years for us, it's much better! If it cannot be years, it can be months. If he can only play weeks, it is weeks but the more time he plays with us, the better for us."
The Spaniard underlined how central Semenyo is to his side, even on difficult afternoons. "Antoine's situation is quite clear. Antoine is a massive player for us and even in games like today where probably he hasn't played well, he is always a threat to score and assist."
Iraola added any decision may ultimately be beyond his control, while confirming the forward remains available for selection. "Obviously, I don't want to lose him. This is quite clear, but there are some situations that are not under my control. He will be available to play again in three days [versus Chelsea] and then the next one and I hope he plays a lot more with us."
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