‎Arsenal Named Antoine Semenyo's Dream Move but Gunners Set to Miss Out as Man City Close In

‎Arsenal have emerged as Antoine Semenyo’s preferred transfer destination had the club followed through on their initial interest, but the Gunners now look set to miss out on the Bournemouth forward. The 25-year-old is widely expected to depart the Cherries in the New Year after an impressive start to the campaign, scoring eight goals and registering three assists. His form has attracted interest from several Premier League clubs.

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Arsenal were Antoine Semenyo’s top choice after a summer enquiry, but Manchester City are now set to activate his £65m release clause as the Bournemouth forward prepares to leave in January.

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‎Semenyo has been on the radar of multiple top-flight sides. Earlier in the year, Liverpool were considered the leading contenders as they sought to further strengthen their attacking options. The Reds invested heavily in forward areas during the summer, bringing in Alexander Isak from Newcastle, Hugo Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt and Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen.

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‎Liverpool were tipped to step up their pursuit of Semenyo after Isak suffered an ankle fracture in the 2-1 victory over Tottenham last weekend. However, the reigning champions ultimately chose not to make a move for the Bournemouth attacker.

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‎Chelsea briefly entered the race, while Tottenham—who had been linked with Semenyo over the summer—saw their interest dismissed early by the Ghana international. Manchester United were also hopeful of securing his signature, but it is Manchester City who are now expected to prevail in the January window.

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‎City are preparing to activate the £65 million release clause included in the contract Semenyo signed earlier this year. The clause must be triggered by January 10 to allow Bournemouth sufficient time to source a replacement.

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‎Arsenal, meanwhile, were loosely connected with the forward, and Semenyo would have chosen a move to the Emirates Stadium had the club made a decisive approach. Transfer expert David Ornstein revealed that Arsenal held discussions with the player’s representatives but ultimately opted against submitting a formal bid, despite being well placed to win the race.

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‎The Premier League leaders are open to selling Gabriel Martinelli in January, and such a departure could have cleared the path for Semenyo’s arrival. Ornstein explained that Arsenal would likely have been the player’s first choice had they fully committed, even though many expected Liverpool to come out on top due to their faltering title defence, uncertainty surrounding Mohamed Salah, and the influence of sporting director Richard Hughes, who originally brought Semenyo to Bournemouth. He also noted that Tottenham renewed their efforts with a lucrative salary offer, only for Semenyo to turn them down, paving the way for City and United to become the main contenders.

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‎Semenyo has previously spoken openly about his admiration for Arsenal. In an interview with The Athletic last year, he confirmed his support for the Gunners, describing how special it is to face a club he has followed throughout his life and stressing his ambition to play for the game’s biggest teams.

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‎Arsenal have struggled to find consistency on the left flank this season, using four different players in that position. Despite their busy summer transfer window, the north London club are unlikely to embark on another major spending spree in January and had hoped to delay a move for Semenyo until the end of the season.

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‎Even with a transfer to Manchester City drawing closer, Semenyo is expected to line up for Bournemouth when they travel to Brentford on Saturday afternoon. The Cherries head into the London fixture unbeaten in three matches, although a 1-1 draw with relegation-threatened Burnley last weekend extended their winless run to eight after a strong early-season showing.

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‎Semenyo will be aiming to add to his goal tally after recently ending a seven-match drought with a strike in the 4-4 draw against Manchester United. He followed that effort with his eighth goal of the campaign in last weekend’s draw with Burnley.