Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo has reportedly set a firm deadline for a potential £65 million transfer to Manchester City, with Premier League rivals Arsenal keeping a close watch on the situation.
City in Pole Position for January Move
The 25-year-old Ghana international, who has been in scintillating form this season, is understood to favour a switch to the Etihad Stadium. Manchester City are now considered the frontrunners to secure his signature when the transfer window reopens on January 1.
Semenyo's contract contains a £65 million release clause that can be activated until January 10. However, according to fresh reports, the player himself desires a swift resolution. He is said to want the formalities of any transfer to Manchester City completed as soon as possible, ideally making him a City player the moment the window opens.
Bournemouth's Stance and Rival Interest
Bournemouth, however, have a different timeline in mind. The Cherries would prefer to retain their star attacker until the January 10 deadline, which would theoretically make him available for two crucial Premier League fixtures. This would see Semenyo potentially face both Arsenal and Tottenham before any move to Manchester is finalised.
This development means Mikel Arteta's Arsenal and Ange Postecoglou's Tottenham will be monitoring the situation with keen interest, assessing whether they will have to contend with one of the league's most in-form forwards in those key matches. Chelsea and Manchester United have also been credited with interest in the player in recent weeks.
Guardiola Remains Coy on Speculation
When questioned about the potential signing after Manchester City's 2-1 victory over Nottingham Forest on Saturday, manager Pep Guardiola offered no clues. The City boss deftly sidestepped the query with a simple "Next question".
Semenyo's quality was on display again just hours after Guardiola's comments, despite Bournemouth's 4-1 defeat at Brentford. He scored his ninth Premier League goal of the campaign, putting him well on course to surpass his personal best league tally of 11 with over half the season remaining.
The coming days will be critical in determining where the prolific forward begins the new year, with a major mid-season transfer saga now firmly underway.
