Antoine Semenyo is due to join Man City in a deal worth £64 million despite claims on Wednesday night that there could be a late “twist” involving Liverpool.
Semenyo scored a dramatic late winner on his final appearance for Bournemouth on Wednesday, firing in from outside the box to earn a 3-2 victory over Tottenham.
It served as the perfect send-off for a player who many hoped would be joining Liverpool in the January transfer window.
Antoine Semenyo to Man City: No “twist” for Liverpool
The final fee:Man City are set to pay a guaranteed £62.5m to sign Antoine Semenyo. The deal was structured to avoid his £65m release clause.
Medical in progress: Despite Jamie Redknapp’s hints at a Liverpool “twist,” Semenyo arrived in Manchester on Thursday morning to undergo his medical.
What next for Liverpool: There is no suggestion of a move for a new forward this January despite injury to Alexander Isak and **Mo Salah**‘s absence.
But instead the 26-year-old winger is undergoing a medical on Thursday ahead of an initial £62.5 million move to rivals Man City.
The Athletic‘s David Ornstein reports that the deal does not involved Semenyo’s release clause being triggered, with the two clubs instead brokering an agreement which will earn Bournemouth slightly more due to the payment structure.
Semenyo’s move to the Etihad should be confirmed this week, with reports on Thursday morning pulling the rug out from under Jamie Redknapp after surprising claims on Sky Sports.
What Jamie Redknapp said about Antoine Semenyo Liverpool transfer ‘twist’
Bournemouth's Antoine Semenyo during a pre-season friendly match at Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth. Picture date: Saturday August 9, 2025.
Redknapp, who played for both Bournemouth and Liverpool, claimed during the broadcast of the win over Tottenham that he had “heard there might be a little bit of a twist.”
“I think Liverpool could still be in the equation,” he claimed.
“Why they haven’t come in perhaps as strongly, I’m quite surprised, because if you look at that position, with Mohamed Salah, if you’ve got a player of that quality [like Semenyo], why wouldn’t you be in for him?
“I’m not saying this is a Sky Sports ‘breaking news’ moment, but I’ve heard tonight that it might not be the foregone conclusion that everyone’s talking about and he’s going to have a medical at Man City.
“There might still be a little twist.”
Transfer Guide: Liverpool’s Antoine Semenyo Alternatives 2026
Player Age Market Value
Michael Olise 24 €130m (£112.5m)
Bradley Barcola 23 €70m (£60.6m)
Rodrygo 24 €60m (£52m)
Yan Diomande 19 €45m (£39m)
Yankuba Minteh 21 €40m (£34.6m)
Malick Fofana 20 €38m (£32.9m)
* Values sourced from Transfermarkt.
The i Paper‘s Mark Douglas – a reliable source when it comes to Bournemouth – was among those to respond on X by insisting that there would be “no twist.”
Redknapp is right, of course, in questioning exactly why Liverpool haven’t pursued a deal for Semenyo, who is this season’s third-top scorer in the Premier League with 10 goals and can play across the front line.
Liverpool spent heavily on Alexander Isak, Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz over the summer but still left Arne Slot short of wide options.
That has been magnified since Salah’s absence from the side and a struggle for form for Cody Gakpo on the left wing, with neither Federico Chiesa nor Rio Ngumoha trusted to start regularly.