Premier League clubs handed deadline to activate Antoine Semenyo release clause

Antoine Semenyo’s release clause has to be triggered in the first 10 days of the January transfer window, talkSPORT understands.

A number of Premier League big hitters interested in triggering Semenyo’s release clause of between £60million and £65m.

AFP

City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham have all been actively pursuing January deals for the Ghana international in a huge transfer battle between the top flight’s biggest clubs.

City have already held talks with Semenyo ahead of the January transfer window opening.

However, talkSPORT understands Liverpool are unlikely to make a January move for Semenyo.

It is also believed Arsenal would only be open to a move if they offload a winger next month, although the Gunners are expecting a quiet transfer window.

So it looks like a straight fight between the two Manchester clubs for the Bournemouth star, with Tottenham currently outsiders in the race.

City have stolen a march on their top-flight rivals by opening talks with Semenyo two weeks before the winter window opens.

Manager Pep Guardiola is currently without wingers Jeremy Doku and Oscar Bobb due to injury, while Omar Marmoush is on AFCON duty with Egypt.

Semenyo will be available throughout the winter after Ghana failed to qualify for AFCON.

The 25-year-old is the joint-third-highest scorer in the Premier League this season with eight goals in 16 games.

He signed a new five-year deal with Bournemouth earlier this year and is thought to be calm about his future despite non-stop speculation.

Getty

Semenyo returned to the scoresheet in the recent 4-4 draw with Manchester United after eight games without a goal in all competitions.

He followed that up with another against Burnley on Saturday.

Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola has been forced to bat away questions about Semenyo’s future throughout the season.

Speaking in November, the Cherries boss said: “Antoine is our player, he will continue being our player. In January, you can ask me about the market in January, but right now I’m not worried about the next markets.

“It’s something that especially you know that I hate to talk about in August, January, the moments when the market is open, but it is not one of those moments. It’s November.

“I’m more worried about the situation of the players to play tomorrow, the short-term, the things that really matter and in January, we will talk about whatever happens, the players we need. But it is not something that I’m worried about today.”

Getty

talkSPORT verdict: Alex Crook (chief football correspondent)

I think the Semenyo situation is going to be a big talking point. Certainly for the first half of January.

We exclusively broke the news that he had a release clause in his contract that does indeed become active in the January transfer window.

There is a cut-off point, I think around about halfway through the month, by which clubs need to activate it.

We know that Liverpool are keen. There’s obviously a link there with Richard Hughes – the sporting director who signed Semenyo from Bristol City for Bournemouth in the first place.

Manchester United are certainly in the race as well – and Tottenham – although I’d make them outsiders at this moment in time.