Liverpool in direct talks to complete €74m deal after Man Utd rejection

Liverpool have reportedly been in direct contact with Bournemouth over a January deal for Antoine Semenyo for the past two months as they look to bring him to Anfield during the upcoming winter transfer window.

The Ghana international has attracted significant transfer interest from across the Premier League following a fantastic start to the new season, in which he has scored six goals and provided three assists in 11 English top flight appearances.

Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur are all monitoring Semenyo’s progress at Bournemouth, but Liverpool are determined to fight off significant competition to secure his signature in 2026.

The 25-year-old is viewed as a possible long-term successor to Mohamed Salah by the Reds hierarchy and transfer reporter IndyKaila has revealed that Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes has been in “direct contact” with Bournemouth for two months.

It’s understood that Liverpool are the favourites to land Semenyo in January, although IndyKaila has reported that Arsenal could challenge Arne Slot’s side for the versatile forward next year.

However, the Gunners may need to sanction player sales first in order to comply with Financial Fair Play Rules. Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli have both been linked with exits in recent weeks, although it’s reported that Myles Lewis-Skelly could surprisingly be offloaded in order to raise funds for new signings.

Antoine Semenyo release clause confirmed

News that Liverpool are leading the chase for Semenyo comes after The Athletic’s David Ornstein confirmed that his current contract at Bournemouth includes a €74 million (£65m) release clause that is available for any interested club.

The Ghana star chose to sign a new deal with the Cherries over the summer, after rejecting the chance to join both Man Utd and Tottenham, as per IndyKaila, although he opted to add a release clause in the process.

As a result, Bournemouth may be powerless to prevent a mid-season departure amid substantial interest from multiple elite Premier League clubs.

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