Manchester United were strongly linked with a move for the in-form Bournemouth forward this summer, but instead signed Bryan Mbeumo from Brentford.
Man Utd-linked Antoine Semenyo has become a key player for Bournemouth. (Image: CameraSport via Getty Images)
Antoine Semenyo has opened up on ongoing transfer interest and speculation from several clubs – including Manchester United – who instead opted to snap-up Bryan Mbeumo for an initial fee of £65million this summer.
Semenyo, now 25, caught the eye of several Premier League clubs, including Liverpool and Chelsea, following his formidable performances for Bournemouth last season. The Manchester Evening News previously reported that Ruben Amorim held a dinner meeting with Semenyo in London at the end of the campaign to assess his character.
Omar Berrada and Jason Wilcox are also believed to have held talks with the Cherries, but no deal materialised. While Bournemouth stood firm – this summer just gone – January could tell a different story as clubs continue to monitor Semenyo’s progress on the south coast.
The forward committed his future to the club by signing a new long-term deal until the summer of 2030, with talkSPORT suggesting Bournemouth value their star player at around £75m. Despite that speculation, Semenyo insists that transfer talk isn’t something he focuses on.
“I don’t think about it too much,” Semenyo told Sky Sports ahead of Bournemouth’s clash with Manchester City. “I try to stay present as much as I can.
“You see the news all the time, I see it as well, I’m not oblivious, but I try to keep focused. I’m enjoying my football here. If I’m not scoring goals, all of that goes away.
Antoine Semenyo has scored six goals for Bournemouth so far this season.(Image: AFC Bournemouth via Getty Images)
“I try to stay present, do the best I can for the team, score goals and whatever happens in the future happens.”
This summer saw Dean Huijsen, Milos Kerkez, and Illia Zabarnyi depart for pastures new, sparking anticipation that Semenyo might follow suit.
“When they [his former teammates] all left [in the summer], there was a lot of interest and back and forth with the club,” Semenyo added – openly talking about the interest from other clubs.
“But I knew in my head that the manager’s got something up his sleeve this year. How we finished off the season last year was so good and we could continue, especially with the players we’ve bought in as well.
“I wasn’t too sure at the start [of the season], but we have kicked on like a house on fire. I’m glad I committed to staying here because I’m enjoying every moment.”
Bournemouth have made a flying start to the Premier League campaign – winning five of their nine games – and currently sit second in the table. A win against City this afternoon could close the gap to just four points behind title favourites Arsenal.
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