Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo has been significantly linked with a January transfer to Manchester United and he has now made a significant decision.
Manchester United are keeping a close eye on Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo after his impressive development in the Premier League over the last 18 months.
Following a standout campaign on the south coast, Ruben Amorim’s side lodged a £50 million bid for the Ghana international, an offer that was also matched by Tottenham Hotspur. Bournemouth turned down both approaches, after which Semenyo committed his future to the club by signing a new contract.
Subsequent reports suggested that Amorim and Semenyo met in person for discussions, with United agreeing on personal terms but failing to strike a deal with Bournemouth.
Semenyo’s renewed contract included a pay rise and a release clause reportedly set at £60 million plus £5 million in add-ons during the January transfer window, with that figure expected to decrease in the summer.
Semenyo makes significant January transfer decision
Fabrizio Romano has revealed in his latest YouTube video that Semenyo’s release clause will only be active in the opening days of the January transfer window. He suggested that it would expire around 10 January.
But the Italian reporter has also delivered some significant news, claiming that it is expected that Semenyo will leave Bournemouth in the mid-season window.
He explained how Liverpool called for information on the player last month but have had no official talks since then. Tottenham Hotspur are also interested but have not advanced for a potential deal in recent days.
Romano concluded his report by stating that United and Manchester City have both called for the player and are involved in the race to sign him next month. Reports elsewhere have claimed that the uncertainty over Pep Guardiola’s future at the Etihad Stadium could impact Semenyo’s decision.
Semenyo can play in different roles
It is a significant update from Romano that Semenyo is expected to make his transfer move in January as United may feel like they cannot miss out on the opportunity to sign him.
Amorim is clearly a big fan of the player and wanted to sign him last term, but with no other club making a move for him it was understandable that they parked that transfer and focused on other areas.
Read More: Man Utd star “more than tempted” to leave in January says Fabrizio Romano, “What I’m hearing is…”
It is also interesting that Romano claimed that United feel like Semenyo would fit into different positions in Amorim’s formation, and also believe he would be a good fit if the club ended up changing their tactical approach.
Those are the kind of signings that United need to make. They shouldn’t be looking for specialists in a back-three even if that’s what Amorim plays most of the time, and Semenyo is a player who has attributes to fit into many different roles.
Make sure to follow UtdDistrict on X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok to never miss out on any of our Manchester United content. Our podcast, What the Devil?, is streamed live every Thursday at 14:00 pm (GMT) on the United View YouTube channel.