2 hours ago
3
Antoine Semenyo has started the process of deciding his future as Chelsea became the latest club to register an interest in the Bournemouth forward.
Sources with knowledge of the situation have told BBC Sport that five clubs have enquired about the 25-year-old, to varying degrees, before the January transfer window.
Those clubs are understood to be Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool, Tottenham and now Chelsea.
The two Manchester clubs are believed to have had the most concrete conversations thus far.
Liverpool have also checked on the conditions of a deal for Semenyo and it remains to be seen if they accelerate their initial interest in light of Alexander Isak's broken leg.
Tottenham are believed to be outsiders for the signature of the Ghana international, who joined the Cherries in 2023 from Bristol City.
Chelsea's move for Semenyo provides an intriguing late twist in the race to land the attacker, who has a £65m release clause that is only active for the first 10 days of January. That clause was necessary to keep him at Bournemouth when agreeing his new contract in July.
The price, though, will drop slightly in the summer window.
That situation could appeal to Chelsea, who already have several wide options, including Pedro Neto, Estevao Willian, Alejandro Garnacho and Jamie Gittens.
The Blues have previously found both release clauses and signing players in advance attractive, with Strasbourg's Dutch striker Emmanuel Emegha, 22, and Sporting's 18-year-old Portuguese winger Geovany Quenda joining next summer after finalising transfers.
Bournemouth accept they are vulnerable to losing Semenyo and willing to negotiate with any club prepared to allow him to stay with them until the end of the season.
From a financial perspective, well-placed sources insist interested clubs are all willing to pay a very similar remuneration package to Semenyo, whose final decision will be made with an emphasis on his personal sporting ambitions.
He turns 26 on 7 January and there is a recognition he is entering the prime of his career.
"I know there is lots of noise around him," said Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola. "[It is] not my concern, my concern is it doesn't affect his performances. It is not doing, he is very committed to the team and I hope we can keep him here.
"[A] situation we cannot control, but Antoine right now is our player, going to continue playing for us. If you ask me, I don't want to lose him, definitely don't. But every time the market opens, you never know what is going to happen."
With that in mind, it is understood Semenyo will prioritise joining a club he believes can provide him with what he views as the most suitable project to compete for major trophies on a long-term basis.
The location and impact on his family will also be a contributing factor, with a decision expected in the coming days.
As Semenyo reflects on his options, it is understood he does not want the saga to become a long drawn-out process.
Chelsea are also subject to Uefa sanctions requiring them to maintain a "positive transfer balance" or risk being unable to register new signings for the Champions League. They also face further fines of 60m euros (£51.2m) if they fail to comply with the rules over the next three and a half years.
