Latest Liverpool transfer news as Antoine Semenyo receives advice from Paul Ince ahead of the January window
Eli Junior Kroupi of AFC Bournemouth (partially visible) is congratulated by teammate Antoine Semenyo
Liverpool are reportedly set to battle rivals for the signing of Antoine Semenyo
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Former Liverpool and Manchester United forward Paul Ince has advised Antoine Semeny too wait until the next summer transfer window to leave Bournemouth rather than January. The 58-year-old believes a Premier League top-four finish will determine which of his former clubs come out on top in the battle.
Semenyo, 25, has played a key role under Andoni Iraola with 18 goals and eight assists in the top-flight since the beginning of the 2024/25 campaign. This has resulted in rumours of an impending transfer this winter, with a £65m release clause reportedly set and Liverpool one of several clubs thought to be interested.
However, the player has been told to truly stop and think before making any hasty decisions midway through the current season.
Speaking to the Covers.com World Cup betting team, Ince said: "I was surprised that Liverpool or Manchester United didn’t sign Antoine Semenyo at the start of the season, because he’s a top player. He should wait until the summer transfer window to make a move; January isn’t a great time to move and clubs often don’t like parting with players midway through a season.
"I don’t see him staying put beyond the summer though. Bournemouth are great at sourcing players from all over the world, but ultimately they’ve always been a selling club.
"He’ll have plenty of options on the table. He’s got all the attributes to improve even more too; he’s great on both feet, strong, quick and can bag you plenty of goals, as we’ve seen so far this year."
Liverpool sit seventh in the Premier League table as things stand. Reports of interest in Semenyo come at a time when Mohamed Salah's future at Anfield beyond January is still a key talking point, plus the recent injury to Cody Gakpo has exacerbated the Reds' issues on the Reds' flanks.
They are equal on points with sixth-placed bitter rivals Manchester United, who set out this season with the aim of restoring themselves to European competition in manager Ruben Amorim's first full season in charge.
The Old Trafford club have also found themselves linked to the Ghanaian. Ince concluded that whoever is able to offer Semenyo Champions League football next season will win the transfer battle.
"In terms of whether he’ll move to Liverpool or Man Utd, it depends on which one will finish in the top four and have Champions League football to look forward to next season," he added.
"If I were in his position, I’d stay put for now at Bournemouth until the end of the season, and see which one of those teams finishes in the top four."
Iraola, meanwhile, has offered an insight into how Semenyo has dealt with speculation surrounding his future.
"Obviously, when you hear your name every day in the news, you have to deal with these situations," he said. "But I think he's committed and I haven't seen a lot of changes in him."