Manchester City are steadily moving towards a January deal for Antoine Semeny, with talks over a potential transfer for the Bournemouth striker said to be at an advanced stage. The Premier League champions have made encouraging progress in recent days and believe they are well placed to win the race for one of the division’s most in-form strikers as the winter window approaches.
According to multiple reports, Semenyo prefers a move to Manchester City rather than Manchester United, despite interest from Old Trafford earlier in the process. United are understood to have cooled their pursuit following suggestions that the 25-year-old prefers to work under Pep Guardiola, while Chelsea have also backed out of talks.
Semenyo became one of the most talked about names in January because of his contract. The Bournemouth winger has a £65m release clause, consisting of a £60m fixed fee and £5m in add-ons, which is only active for the first ten days of January. That clause was included when he signed a new contract in July, allowing Bournemouth to keep him last summer while acknowledging strong future interest. That valuation is expected to drop slightly if the move is delayed until the summer window.
City are not the only ones tracking the Ghana international. Liverpool, Tottenham and Chelsea have made inquiries to varying degrees, with Liverpool assessing the terms of the deal amid uncertainty over their future options. Tottenham are considered outsiders, while Chelsea have opted not to push forward despite initial interest.
Bournemouth are realistic about their position and accept they could lose a key player midway through the season. However, the Cherries are open to negotiating terms that would allow Semenya to stay at the club until the end of the campaign, should the buying club agree. He joined Bournemouth from Bristol City in 2023 and has since developed into a central figure under Andoni Iraola.
Semenyo’s appeal is clear. His ability to operate across the front line combined with his physicality and end product have made him one of the league’s standout players this season. He has eight Premier League goals and three assists from sixteen games, making him one of the top scorers in the division, behind Erling Haaland and Brentford’s Igor Thiago.
With January fast approaching and the release clause clock ticking, Manchester City now appear firmly in pole position. While no deal has been struck, the momentum suggests the Etihad could be Semenyo’s preferred next destination.
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Issued by:
Debodinna Chakraborty
Published on:
December 24, 2025
