The Citizens pay the clause to have the English striker from Bournemouth. Now it’s a challenge as to when to finalize the agreement, then off to the sale of Bobb
Manchester City has Antoine Semenyo in their hands, the most coveted piece of the January transfer window in the Premier League. Sports director Hugo Viana is in the details with Bournemouth for the payment of the 75 million euro clause contained in the contract of the 25-year-old attacking winger, who scored 9 goals in the season before starting Chelsea-Bournemouth. The clause will be active from January 1st to 10th, but “when” the London-born Ghanaian will be able to leave the Cherries is part of the final details that the two teams and the player must agree on.
Semenyo affair
—
Bournemouth’s preferred solution was to keep the player on loan until the end of the season, but the Cherries quickly realized that this was not possible. However, they would like to retain what has been the best player so far at least for the next two games, both at home, with Arsenal on January 3 and with Tottenham on January 7 (the day of the player’s 26th birthday, among other things), releasing Semenyo before the clause expires. City, also having to deal with the details of the player’s contract, would prefer to make him available to Guardiola immediately, starting from the January 4th match at the Etihad against Chelsea. The date of the transfer is not an obstacle in finalizing the deal: City was left alone in the race, after one by one Tottenham, Manchester United and lastly Liverpool slipped away since the player’s entourage made it clear that his preference was for Guardiola’s court. Semenyo, who joined Bournemouth in January 2023 from Bristol City, the team he grew up with, had renewed with the Cherries in the summer, however inserting an exit clause of €75 million into his contract valid in the first 10 days of January. After 9 goals and 3 assists in his first 17 games in the Premier League and with Bournemouth closer to relegation than to the dream of Europe, it was clear that that figure would have been a bargain price for the parameters of the Premier League.
city transfers
—
City are waiting for Semenyo’s arrival before deciding on any departures. The first suspect to say goodbye is Oscar Bobb, a 22-year-old Norwegian attacking winger who needs to play to recover from a serious injury from which he only returned at the end of last season. He has made 9 appearances in the Premier League so far this season, but only 5 as a starter and in the last month he has played just 18 minutes, in the Carabao Cup against Brentford, before going out due to injury. Borussia Dortmund would be moving on the Norwegian, but any discussion should only begin after the announcement of Semenyo’s purchase. Savinho and Omar Marmoush, other strikers who have little space, are not considered by City on the transfer market.
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED