Manchester City recently bolstered their attack by signing Antoine Semenyo from Bournemouth in a massive £64 million deal. The giants paid £62.5 million upfront with another £1.5 million in performance-related add-ons. Even so, the timing of the move has sparked a lot of talk behind the scenes.
Manchester City’s Strategic Stumble During the Semenyo Transfer Saga
Ex-financial adviser Stefan Borson told Football Insider that City’s board actually let the winger play for Bournemouth against Chelsea, Arsenal, and Spurs before finishing the deal. This backfired when the forward changed the look of the table himself, scoring a late winner against Tottenham while City were busy dropping vital points against Sunderland, Chelsea, and Brighton.
Borson called the delay a huge tactical blunder. City were short on options and finding it difficult to manage a massive injury crisis at the time. He pointed out that Semenyo scored a worldie for the Cherries with an xG of just 0.02, while City were struggling to break down parked buses at home.
Although the Ghana international hit the ground running for his new club with a debut goal in a 10-1 FA Cup win over Exeter, the delay in bringing him in still feels like a missed opportunity for the board.
“City agreed to let the player play against Chelsea, Arsenal and Spurs, which I think has actually cost City in the end.
“In those three games, City really could have used Semenyo because of the injuries. The fact that he scored a 0.02 XG goal in the 95th minute while City failed to beat Brighton at home cost themselves two points in the title race.
“It’s very significant, so City could have used him. They chose to do a negotiated deal, and with the benefit of hindsight, maybe that’s not ideal, but they got the player in the end.”
Analysing the Title Race: Did City Wait Too Long?
The big question now is whether this hesitation will hand the Premier League title to Arsenal. In a title race this tight, dropping points against teams like Sunderland can kill a season.
It’s rare to see City lack this much killer instinct. Letting a top target play against their rivals during a crucial run of games. Had the Ghanaian arrived a few weeks sooner, his pace and clinicalness might have turned those draws into wins. That would have changed the gap at the top completely. With Arsenal showing no signs of slowing down, City cannot afford these kinds of unforced errors.
Semenyo clearly has what it takes to change a game, as his immediate impact in the FA Cup demonstrated. However, the points City lost while waiting for him aren’t coming back. Guardiola is famous for chasing down leaders late in the season.
However, if Arsenal win the league by a single point in May, analysts will undoubtedly look back at these few weeks as the turning point. The signing itself is a smart piece of business, but the wait to get it over the line might just cost them the trophy.
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Nitish Bhan
Nitish is a football journalist with over 12 years of experience covering the Premier League and global football. He combines data-driven reporting with tactical analysis to deliver in-depth coverage for readers who want more than just match reports. A marketing graduate and lifelong football addict, Nitish has contributed to Sportskeeda,…