Man Utd Make Bold Move on Antoine Semenyo as Man City Circle Star Target—Report
Manchester United are reportedly not actively chasing Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo, even though head coach Ruben Amorim holds him in high regard. Other squad areas are said to take precedence.
Semenyo has emerged as a Premier League sensation since the beginning of last campaign, accumulating 17 goals and assists throughout 2024–25 and already notching nine in 12 matches during 2025–26.
The Ghana winger is understood to possess a £65 million ($85.8 million) buyout clause in his Bournemouth deal that activates from Jan. 1, though it must be exercised by a specific undisclosed deadline before the window shuts to give the Cherries adequate time to secure a replacement.
Manchester City have reportedly been contemplating a concrete bid for Semenyo in the coming month, with Bournemouth maintaining their policy of never preventing top talents from moving to clubs offering greater opportunities than the coastal outfit can realistically provide.
Semenyo has also been connected with Liverpool, whose sporting director—Richard Hughes—facilitated his move to Bournemouth from Bristol City nearly three years ago. However, an Anfield approach appears much less probable given their summer expenditure exceeding £400 million and defensive shortcomings being a more urgent concern currently.
Manchester United similarly won't likely pursue Semenyo for comparable reasons. The Red Devils concentrated last summer's signings on attacking reinforcements, acquiring Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Šeško for a total exceeding £200 million. Joshua Zirkzee, who seemed headed for a January departure, has also unexpectedly worked his way back into Amorim's thinking.
Fabrizio Romano has mentioned in a YouTube clip that United's transfer focus lies elsewhere, mainly in midfield. It has been previously indicated that the club won't aggressively target the January market but will concentrate efforts on preparing for the upcoming summer window.
Amorim has consistently opted to deploy Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro as his central midfield partnership, providing experience and craft, though arguably lacking pace. With Fernandes favored over alternatives like Manuel Ugarte or Kobbie Mainoo, it also shifts the captain away from a more impactful No. 10 position—despite the Portugal star claiming he's content playing any role.
Wing-back represents a position that Amorim has openly stated needs reinforcement, specifically requesting "another Amad" to enhance his 3-4-2-1 formation. United invested £25 million in Patrick Dorgu last winter but remain short of options in these vital wide positions.
Man Utd Midfield Transfer Targets—2026
There's no shortage of central midfielders available who could enhance Manchester United's squad.
The Red Devils have reportedly assembled a shortlist of seven prospects ahead of the summer window, primarily concentrating on players with existing or previous Premier League exposure.
Adam Wharton, Carlos Baleba and Elliot Anderson represent the three most prominent choices anticipated to demand the steepest transfer fees, all valued at £100 million or above by their current clubs.
Wolverhampton Wanderers duo João Gomes and André constitute the two other Premier League-based options at present. Conor Gallagher represents a possibility to repatriate from Atlético Madrid, with rising Germany international Angelo Stiller being the sole name among those seven without English football connections.
The prospect of targeting Atalanta's Éderson has also gained attention. The combative box-to-box Brazilian has drawn comparisons to AC Milan and Italy icon Gennaro Gattuso previously and seems ideally suited to the Premier League, where there's been a return toward pure physicality.
Éderson's deal with Atalanta runs until 2027 and his agent, Andre Cury, has publicly stated that the Serie A club have lowered a previous valuation to under half of the £65 million release clause. The complication is that Cury, maintaining a long-established business connection with Barcelona, primarily desires Éderson to join them.