Dorset | Semenyo revealed to have £65m January release clause

Could another of Bournemouth’s star players be on the move in January?

Antoine Semenyo has been in excellent form this season, scoring six goals and providing three assists in 11 appearances for Andoni Iraola's side.

Author | James L

Last season, he hit double figures for the first time in his career, scoring 11 goals in the league and 13 in all competitions.

Londoner Semenyo qualifies for Ghana through his father. He was rejected by Arsenal, Spurs and Millwall as a youngster before joining the football programme at SGS College in Bristol, run by former Leeds and Forest Green Rovers manager Dave Hockaday.

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Bristol City signed him in 2017, but he needed loan spells at Bath, Newport and Sunderland before breaking into the Robins first team during the 2020-21 season.

In January 2023, he made a move to Bournemouth and has been improving ever since.

Semenyo's goals helped Bournemouth finish ninth last season, but they sold three of their back four (Illia Zabarny, Milos Kerkez and Dean Huijsen) for almost £150m during the summer. 

They also failed to make goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga's loan move from Chelsea permanent, with the Spaniard joining Arsenal instead, but keeping hold of Semenyo has proved vital for the club this season. He has taken on the mantle of being Bournemouth’s star man, and it’s no surprise to hear that many of the league’s biggest clubs are interested.

Interest from Liverpool?

Liverpool's sporting director, Richard Hughes, will be well aware of the details of Antoine Semenyo's contract at the Vitality, having been at Bournemouth when the forward arrived for around £10m from Bristol City in January 2023.

Given the strong relationship between the two clubs in recent years, it would come as little surprise if Liverpool were monitoring Semenyo's progress closely, even after a record summer outlay of around £450m that saw Hugo Ekitike, Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz arrive alongside Milos Kerkez.

For Bournemouth, interest from clubs of Liverpool's stature is not something they shy away from. It is, in many ways, part of the pitch they present to emerging talent from across Europe, offering a pathway for lesser-known players with the potential to develop into elite performers.