Chelsea now in pole position to seal Antoine Semenyo swoop as January move made
The race for Antoine Semenyo appears to be never-ending, with the winger linked to multiple Premier League clubs ahead of the January transfer window.
Semenyo’s form at Bournemouth this season has seen him heavily linked away, with the Ghana international already netting eight times in 16 Premier League matches.
Man City were recently deemed the front-runners for Semenyo after Pep Guardiola’s side held talks for the winger.
However, there has now been a new twist, with Chelsea entering the race for the Cherrier star.
Chelsea joint-favourites to sign Antoine Semenyo after enquiry is made
According to The Athletic on 23 December, Chelsea have made an initial inquiry about signing Semenyo in January.
The Blues wanted an attacker by the summer, but have now accelerated these plans.
Semenyo has a £65million release clause in his contract, which is set to expire in mid-January.
- Semenyo has been on fine form for Bournemouth this season
- The winger has eight goals and three assists in 16 Premier League games
- As a result, he has been linked to all of the Premier League’s ‘big six’ sides
With numerous clubs on the hunt for his signature, it is clear that Chelsea are trying to get ahead of the game, ready for the opening of the transfer window.
Now, as a result of this news, one bookmaker has made Chelsea joint-favourites to sign the Ghana international alongside Liverpool at 2/1.
Oddschecker on 23 December has confirmed that these odds have been slashed in the Blues’ favour.
Man City and Man United are also still in the race, with both clubs being at 6/1 to sign the winger.
What has Andoni Iraola said about Semenyo’s future?
At the centre of this saga is Bournemouth and Andoni Iraola, who no doubt both want to keep their star man.
Semenyo scored for the Cherries yet again on the weekend in their 1-1 draw against Burnley.
With a recent string of bad form dragging Bournemouth closer to the relegation zone, a departure of the attacker is the last thing they need.
Nevertheless, ahead of their tie against Brentford, questions were directed towards Iraola over Semenyo’s future.
Here, the manager reaffirmed his desire to keep hold of the winger to BBC Sport on 23 December.
He said: “Semenyo right now is with us. He trained today with us
“I know that there is lots of noise around him. Not my concern, my concern is it doesn’t affect his performances. It is not doing, he is very committed to the team and I hope we can keep him here.
“Situation we cannot control, but Antoine right now is our player. Going to continue playing for us. If you ask me, I don’t want to lose him, definitely don’t. But every time the market opens, you never know what is going to happen.”