Bournemouth expect to sell Antoine Semenyo to Man City ‘in next 48 hours’ as Cherries target forgotten Tottenham winger as replacement

Antoine Semenyo

Bournemouth are expected to sell star winger Antoine Semenyo to Manchester City ‘in the next 48 hours’ as the Cherries identify forgotten Tottenham winger as a replacement for the Ghana international. Several top English clubs like Liverpool, Tottenham, Manchester United and Chelsea were keen on signing Semenyo, however, it is City who look set to win this transfer race for the 25-year-old.

Semenyo set to leave Bournemouth six months after signing new deal

Six months ago, Semenyo seemed to be comfortable at Bournemouth and was expected to stay on a long-term basis after signing a new five-year contract in July. After putting pen to paper, Semenyo had said: "I've grown so much at the club, both on and off the pitch, and I'm really happy to have signed ahead of returning for pre-season. From the fans to the staff and my teammates, I can't speak highly enough of the people around the club. It's a great place to be and I'm excited to get back to Bournemouth and continue the hard work with the new season just around the corner."

Bournemouth's president of football operations, Tiago Pinto, added that Semenyo had been "crucial" to the south coast club's progress and was a "key member" of their ongoing project. He said: "We have a great relationship with Antoine and we're looking forward to continuing that as we hope to build on a record-breaking season. His commitment to the club matches our ambition and I'm excited to see what can be achieved as we prepare for the new campaign."

However, things have changed after Semenyo displayed tremendous form since the start of the season and he is now among the best performers in the league, halfway through the campaign. His impressive start caught the eyes of a number of top English clubs but it seems City have won the race to secure his transfer. 

Bournemouth v Burnley - Premier League

Semenyo to become City player in next 48 hours

Per talkSPORT, Bournemouth and the Cityzens have held positive talks over the structure of payments for Semenyo's £65 million ($87.5m) transfer fee and the Cherries are now preparing to sell their star player in the next 48 hours.

Semenyo, though, is expected to travel with the Bournemouth squad to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea in the Premier League and that match could be his farewell outing for the Cherries. Semenyo has given his verbal consent to complete the transfer and the formal process will begin once the transfer window officially opens on January 1. 

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Iraola wanted Semenyo to stay

Despite Semenyo being linked with a move away from the club for a long time, manager Andoni Iraola was hoping that his star player would not leave midway through the season. Last week, the Spaniard had said: "No, the more games Antoine can play for us, [the better]. If he can play years for us, it's much better! If it cannot be years, it can be months. If he can only play weeks, it is weeks but the more time he plays with us, the better for us. Antoine's situation is quite clear. Antoine is a massive player for us and even in games like today where probably he hasn't played well, he is always a threat to score and assist. Obviously, I don't want to lose him. This is quite clear, but there are some situations that are not under my control. He will be available to play again in three days [versus Chelsea] and then the next one and I hope he plays a lot more with us."

Newcastle United v Tottenham Hotspur - Premier League

What comes next for Bournemouth?

Now, with Semenyo's transfer all but secured, Bournemouth have already started to look for alternative options and are reportedly keen on signing forgotten Tottenham star Brennan Johnson, according to The Guardian. Predominantly a winger, Johnson can play in multiple positions in attack, something that has caught Iraola's eye.