Man City Ready to Hijack Rivals' Transfer Target with Release Clause Swoop—Report
Manchester City seem to be leading the charge among clubs looking to secure the services of rising Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo ahead of the January transfer period.
City have consistently demonstrated their willingness to invest heavily when required, famously outlaying over £170 million ($225.6 million) on four new squad members last January—typically a window known for limited options and inflated prices.
This investment pattern extended through the summer months, with an additional £181 million spent on six new signings.
However, City remain in the midst of restructuring their squad following last season's unexpected downturn that brought their streak of four consecutive Premier League championships to an end. Consequently, Pep Guardiola's team hasn't quite returned to their previous commanding form, suffering defeats in four of their 13 league matches to date.
Erling Haaland has netted more than half (14) of City's Premier League strikes (27) this campaign, and acquiring a developing and adaptable attacker like Semenyo could help reduce this heavy dependence. "The top sides find the net through numerous players. If only Erling is finding the back of the net, we'll face difficulties," Guardiola acknowledged following the weekend's 3–2 victory against Leeds United.
The Times reports that City are currently "evaluating" whether to activate Semenyo's buyout clause. The amount is understood to be fixed at £65 million and becomes available from January 1. Sources suggest City are "not completely decided" on proceeding, though some within the organization feel bringing Semenyo aboard would "provide them the advantage" in catching up to table-toppers Arsenal.
The crucial condition is that it must be exercised by a specific, confidential, deadline in January to allow Bournemouth sufficient time to find an adequate replacement. This necessitates swift action.
City face competition from other interested parties, with recent connections to Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur. The Liverpool situation is intriguing given that Anfield's sporting director Richard Hughes was responsible for bringing the Ghana international to Bournemouth in 2023. Nevertheless, Liverpool may eliminate themselves from contention after their summer expenditure exceeded £400 million.
Semenyo has found the net six times and provided three assists in the Premier League during the 2025–26 season. No City player besides Haaland has matched that goal tally at this point in the season, with only Hugo Ekitiké (6) equaling him from Liverpool's ranks, while Manchester United and Tottenham's leading league marksmen, Bryan Mbeumo and Richarlison, have managed just five goals apiece.
Bournemouth Won't Block Semenyo's Departure
Bournemouth have already established their policy of not preventing their top talents from departing for bigger opportunities. Throughout the 2025 summer window, Dean Huijsen, Illia Zabarnyi and Milos Kerkez moved to Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool respectively for a total fee approaching £144.5 million.
"When clubs like Real Madrid, Liverpool, PSG express interest and they're contending for Champions League spots, who are we to declare, 'No, you cannot leave, you cannot chase your ambitions,'" Cherries general manager Tim Bezbatchenko stated recently.
This approach continues with Semenyo, whose release clause guarantees Bournemouth will benefit financially, representing a substantial £55 million gain over three years—Bournemouth acquired him from Bristol City for merely £10 million in January 2023 for a player who had never competed above Championship level.
It strongly suggests that the new five-year deal he penned as recently as July was designed to safeguard the club and maximize future transfer value, rather than indicate a lasting commitment from both sides.