Teenage darts world champion Luke Littler has called on Manchester United to activate Antoine Semenyo's reported £65 million release clause, following the Bournemouth winger's decision to follow him on social media. Littler, an 18-year-old United fan, posted a series of Instagram stories urging the club to sign Semenyo to cover potential absences during the Africa Cup of Nations.
United could lose Amad Diallo and Bryan Mbeumo to international duty in January, with the tournament in Morocco requiring players to be released two weeks before their first matches. Manager Ruben Amorim has confirmed talks with football federations to delay their departures, but the trio could miss key fixtures against Newcastle United, Wolves, and potentially the Manchester derby.
Littler shared a clip of Semenyo's goals, captioned: 'The solution to our AFCON worries?' He then posted a screenshot showing Semenyo had followed him back, writing: 'Step one. I've done my job, now it's down to you Reds.' The darts star added: 'Activate the release clause, gonna miss Amad and Mbeumo massively.'
Semenyo, 25, signed a new contract with Bournemouth last summer running until 2030, but reports suggest the club have 'reluctantly accepted' they may need to sell him before the January window closes. The Athletic reports that his release clause has a deadline to allow Bournemouth to find a replacement. Liverpool are also linked with the Ghana international.
Amorim earlier confirmed: 'We have the rules for when we have to release the players, but we are trying to have the players a bit longer. It is not just in our hands. We will see. We will try to arrange something with the federations.'
