Darts sensation Luke Littler has publicly called for Manchester United to make a bold January move for Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo, creating an unexpected transfer storyline that's captured fan attention.
Social Media Spark Ignites Transfer Speculation
The 18-year-old darts prodigy, known as 'The Nuke', took to Instagram to share his solution to United's impending selection crisis. Littler posted a series of stories highlighting how the club could lose key attackers Amad (Ivory Coast) and Bryan Mbeumo (Cameroon) to the Africa Cup of Nations next month.
His post featured a clip titled 'The solution to our AFCON worries?', which showed footage of the United duo celebrating before cutting to highlights of Semenyo's goals for Bournemouth. Littler wrote: "Activate the release clause" accompanied by a wink emoji, adding that he would "miss Amad and Mbeumo massively."
The Plot Thickens: Semenyo Follows Back
The situation took an intriguing turn when Littler shared a screenshot showing that Semenyo had followed him on the social media platform. The teenage darts star captioned this development with: "Step one I've done my job, now it's down to you Reds" followed by laughing and wink emojis.
This social media interaction has fueled speculation that United might genuinely be considering a move for the 25-year-old Ghana international, who only signed a new contract with Bournemouth until 2030 this past summer.
United's January Crisis and the £65 Million Clause
The timing of Littler's intervention comes as United manager Ruben Amorim faces a significant squad depletion during the critical festive period. Along with Amad and Mbeumo, Morocco's Noussair Mazraoui will also be required for AFCON duty.
Clubs are required to release players two weeks before their opening tournament fixtures, meaning the trio could depart around United's Molineux clash against Wolves on December 8. This could see them miss crucial matches including:
- Newcastle United (December 26)
- Wolves (December 30)
- Potential earlier games against Bournemouth and Aston Villa
- The Manchester derby against City on December 17
The Athletic has reported that Bournemouth have "reluctantly accepted" they may need to sell Semenyo in January, with his contract containing a £65 million release clause that has a time limit to allow the Cherries to secure a replacement.
Amorim confirmed earlier this month that the club would attempt to negotiate with football federations to delay player departures, stating: "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."
With Liverpool also reportedly monitoring Semenyo's situation, Littler's social media campaign has added an unexpected dimension to United's January transfer plans as the club seeks solutions to their AFCON exodus.
