‘Zero Doubts’—Antoine Semenyo’s Reason for Man Utd, Liverpool Snub Revealed

Pending a medical, a deal to take Bournemouth’s star forward to Manchester City is done.

Antoine Semenyo is heavily expected to join Manchester City this month. / Catherine Ivill-AMA/Getty Images

Antoine Semenyo’s desire to play under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City is the reason for him turning down moves to Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur, it has been revealed.

Bournemouth’s star forward has attracted serious interest from some of the division’s biggest clubs. Arsenal are thought to be the only member of the Premier League’s so-called “Big Six” not to have made an enquiry into a player who is available for £65 million ($87.7 million) thanks to a release clause in January.

Ironically, the Gunners were thought to be Semenyo’s preferred choice given his support of the club from childhood, per The Athletic, yet it is City who has won the race.

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Semenyo’s selection of the eight-time Premier League champions has been put down to a desire to work under Guardiola—indeed Fabrizio Romano reports there have been ‘zero doubts’ about the move since Christmas Eve.

Guardiola is widely regarded as one of best managers in the game’s long history; the Catalan great strikes the unusual balance of not only changing the way the sport is played but winning while doing so.

The allure of working for Pep Guardiola has done the trick again. / Alex Livesey/Danehouse/Getty Images

Across his 15 full seasons in senior management, Guardiola has won the top-flight 12 times. Manchester City’s 2024–25 campaign was widely derided as the worst of his career yet he still inspired a top-three finish and a run to the FA Cup final.

Semenyo would hardly be the first to swoon over an approach from Guardiola. However, the 54-year-old’s long-term future is scarcely scrawled in stone. While his contract extends until the summer of 2027, there have been reports of City preparing for his departure in six months, with multiple discussions held between the club and Enzo Maresca before he left Chelsea.

Quite where Semenyo would fit in under Guardiola is another question to be answered. City’s lack of depth is more clearly pointed at centre back—hence the increased interest in Marc Guéhi—while their first-choice frontline is more obvious.

Erling Haaland’s name is tattooed on every team sheet, while he has most commonly been flanked by Phil Foden and Rayan Cherki. Jérémy Doku is another potent option out wide, a position in which Semenyo will also be competing with Savinho and Omar Marmoush when he returns from the Africa Cup of Nations.

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Semenyo Still Has One Game Before Man City Medical

Andoni Iraola’s message to Antoine Semenyo (right) is clear: Stay. / Catherine Ivill-AMA/Getty Images

The terms of Semenyo’s release clause work for and against Bournemouth. By demanding that club’s trigger this £65 million within the first 10 days of January, the south coast club give themselves time to secure a replacement—although their first-choice, Brennan Johnson, has already joined Crystal Palace.

However, it also clouded Semenyo’s involvement during this busy festive fixture list. Andoni Iraola has been adamant throughout that his top scorer would be available for the three-match burst of games against Chelsea, Arsenal and Wednesday’s clash with Tottenham Hotspur.

The Basque boss once again confirmed this week that Semenyo will be available for the meeting with Spurs. “Antoine will play tomorrow, yes,” he declared. “I can give you my opinion, from my experience, but there is nothing signed with Antoine Semenyo.

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“If you ask me personally, ‘what do you think?’ With all the noise, I think it could be the last game, but I cannot guarantee it. I understand the market, I understand the noise but right now there is nothing agreed, nothing signed, so for me he is our player and I hope he continues.

“But my understanding also, because I have been in the [transfer] market before with this club and others, there is a chance it is his last game also, yes.”

Semenyo’s status as a Bournemouth player is not expected to last very long after the final whistle of the midweek meeting with Spurs, which falls on his 26th birthday. BBC Sport are one of several outlets to report that the versatile forward is set for a medical at Manchester City shortly after Wednesday’s match.

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