Bournemouth has to accept the reality that they may not be able to prevent Antoine Semenyo from leaving in the January transfer window next year. Although the club prefers to keep him until the end of the season, this scenario will obviously not be easy.
The Ghanaian international attracted interest from clubs like Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur last summer, but ultimately signed a contract extension until June 2030 in July and has maintained impressive form this season. To retain their key player, Bournemouth added a release clause to the extension agreement—a decision that has already paid off: the 25-year-old forward has contributed 6 goals and 3 assists this season, helping the team sit ninth in the Premier League table.
In the previous transfer window, potential suitors were informed that activating Semenyo’s release clause would cost around £70 million, while the official release fee for the January window has been confirmed at £65 million. The clause has a specific activation period, which will give Bournemouth approximately two weeks to find a replacement, and it is equally open to all clubs.
Although Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham have all been linked with Semenyo recently, if the Cherries successfully retain the player in the January window, the clause will still take effect in the next transfer window, but the amount will be further reduced.
Losing Semenyo would be a heavy blow, but Bournemouth has prior experience dealing with the departure of key players. In May this year, center-back Huisen joined Real Madrid for a £50 million release fee, and a year ago, Tottenham took Dominic Solanke away with a £65 million release clause. Even after selling left-back Milos Kerkez, center-back Illia Zabarnyi and winger Dango Ouattara successively, the team has maintained an upward momentum. These precedents show that the club has identified transfer targets for all positions and formulated emergency plans for Semenyo’s potential departure.
