Manchester United and Manchester City are firmly in the race to sign Antoine Semenyo from Bournemouth.
Semenyo’s contract has a release clause of £65 million, which comes into effect from January 1, and the forward has attracted interest from a number of top Premier League clubs.
City are keeping a close eye on the 25-year-old’s signing, with Tottenham also keen. Some sources believe Josep Guardiola’s side are now the frontrunners to sign him.
United are seen as serious rivals for City and Spurs, but Liverpool are still thought to be close behind.
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Although United are not actively looking to sign a new forward in January, they believe the opportunity to sign Semenyo for a set price next month must be seriously considered.
Semenyo, who has scored 29 goals in over 100 appearances for Bournemouth, is said to have long-term interest from the Old Trafford bosses, according to Sky Sports News.
But United’s biggest obstacle is finances. While there is no risk of breaching the PSR regulations at this time, a £65m transfer fee could have a serious impact on the amount of money available to spend in the summer, when signing a defensive midfielder is an absolute priority.
They are reluctant to get involved in a bidding war for Semenho with some of the Premier League’s biggest clubs and are unwilling to jeopardize their ability to strengthen their midfield with another attacker next summer.
Sky Sports News reported earlier this month that Spurs are increasing their interest in Semenyo’s £65m release clause, which kicks in on January 1, and Liverpool have been interested in the player for some time.
Arsenal are keeping an eye on Semenyo’s development, but they currently have a wealth of talent in the forward areas, with five players capable of playing wide on the left.
Despite speculation over his future, Semenyo’s entourage insists he remains focused on training, fitness and match performance at Bournemouth.
The south coast club wants to keep the Ghanaian international, who will not be playing in the upcoming AFCON but is scheduled to play against England at next year’s World Cup.
