Antoine Semenyo Prefers Manchester City Move With £65m January Release Clause

‎Bournemouth attacker Antoine Semenyo has identified Manchester City as his preferred destination ahead of the January transfer window. The forward is motivated by the opportunity to compete for major honours and believes a move to Pep Guardiola’s side would align with those ambitions.

‎

‎Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo prefers a January move to Manchester City, with a £65m release clause and strong Premier League form attracting interest.

‎Getty Images Sport 

‎

‎At present, no formal agreement has been reached, with the winter window still a week away from opening. Interest remains exploratory rather than advanced.

‎

‎According to reports from The Athletic, Chelsea opted not to continue their interest in the 25-year-old after making an initial approach earlier this week. Manchester United also explored the possibility of a deal, but a January transfer was viewed as difficult to complete. United were only prepared to sign players fully committed to joining the club, and their stance was unrelated to Ruben Amorim’s tactical system. Semenyo was never considered as a wing-back option.

‎

‎Tottenham Hotspur previously assessed a potential move during the summer, while Liverpool were also named among the clubs monitoring the winger, as detailed in The Athletic’s December Transfer DealSheet.

‎

‎Semenyo has impressed throughout the 2025–26 Premier League season, registering eight goals and three assists across 16 appearances. His form has reinforced his status as one of Bournemouth’s standout performers.

‎

‎The Ghana international is under contract with Bournemouth until 2030. That deal includes a £65 million release clause that becomes active in January, a detail first revealed by The Athletic on November 17. The club had valued him at £70 million during the summer, but the winter release figure is now fixed at £65 million.

‎

‎The clause must be triggered by a specific deadline, allowing Bournemouth a short window to find a replacement. It is open to any club and, should Semenyo remain at the Vitality Stadium in January, a similar mechanism would be available in the next transfer window at a reduced price.

‎

‎Bournemouth have already overseen several high-profile departures following a strong 2024–25 campaign under Andoni Iraola. Centre-back Dean Huijsen joined Real Madrid in May after his £50 million clause was activated. Milos Kerkez, Illia Zabarnyi and Dango Ouattara were also sold, while Dominic Solanke left a year earlier for Tottenham under a £65 million exit provision.

‎

‎Since arriving from Bristol City in January 2023, Semenyo has made 106 appearances for Bournemouth, contributing 30 goals and 13 assists across all competitions.

‎

‎Manchester City’s interest is rooted in their need for decisive wide players capable of winning individual duels and delivering consistent goal returns. Such profiles have been a defining feature of Guardiola’s most successful teams.

‎

‎Although Jeremy Doku continues to refine his attacking output, Guardiola acknowledged after the 3–0 victory over Liverpool that the Belgian winger is unlikely to become one of City’s leading scorers. Savinho and Oscar Bobb are also still developing their final-third effectiveness.

‎

‎As a result, City have yet to fully replace the attacking contributions once provided by players such as Riyad Mahrez, Leroy Sané and Raheem Sterling. With Erling Haaland carrying a significant share of the scoring burden, Semenyo would add a direct threat from either flank and enhance City’s counter-attacking options.

‎

‎Manchester City are positioning themselves as strong title challengers. Securing Semenyo would represent a significant move, bringing in a player at his peak who has demonstrated the capacity to decide matches at the highest level.