Man City emerge as Antoine Semenyo's preferred destination as Chelsea walk away from £65m deal

Chelsea became the latest club to express interest in Semenyo after making contact with the Bournemouth star's camp about a potential transfer. However, Enzo Maresca's side have decided against taking their interest any further and will not pursue a move, according to The Athletic. The Blues are said to "have confidence" in the current options in their squad but will continue to "monitor options" in 2026. The decision by Chelsea leaves Manchester City, Liverpool and United to battle it out for Semenyo, who has been backed to make a quick decision on his future. Meanwhile, Maresca still has plenty of options in his squad with the likes of Pedro Neto, Cole Palmer, Alejandro Garnacho, Jamie Gittens, Pedro Neto, Estevao Willian, Facundo Buonanotte all available.

Semenyo looks set to be the biggest transfer of the January window, if he does indeed move, with Premier League title-chasing Manchester City now pushing hard for his signature, according to Fabrizio Romano. Sporting director Hugo Viana has been in direct talks with the forward's camp and the club are keen for an answer as soon as possible. Yet United and Liverpool are still thought to be in the race, with Semenyo now facing a difficult decision over where he wants to play his football next. Semenyo may need to make a decision on his future fairly quickly too, as the £65 million release clause in his contract is only active for the first 10 days of January, per BBC Sport.

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Semenyo is said to favour a move to City due to a desire to win trophies, according to The Athletic. City look in great shape to land trophies in the 2025-26 season, as they currently sit two points off the top of the Premier League table and are in fourth place in the Champions League group phase. The Cityzens are also in the semi-finals of the League Cup, and will face Newcastle in the last four, and will take on Exeter City in the third round of the FA Cup. However, Guardiola has urged his side to improve if they are to be crowned Premier League champions at the end of the season. He told Sky Sports after the win over West Ham: "I'm happy, I cannot deny, but the way we play with the ball we have to improve or it will not be enough in March or April to be a contender to win the league."

No formal deal has yet been agreed but the Cityzens now look best placed to win the race for the 25-year-old. Manchester United were keen to sign the Bournemouth star, despite spending big on the summer on attackers Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko, but only want to sign players who are "eager to join."

Fans will have to wait and see what decision Semenyo makes as he continues to ponder his future. Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola has said he would love the Ghana star to stay but it's difficult to see him continuing amid interest from England's biggest clubs. Bournemouth have already waved goodbye to big talents such as Dean Huijsen, Dominic Solanke, Illia Zabarnyi, Dango Ouattara and Milos Kerkez in recent season and it would be no surprise if Semenyo was the next to depart. In the meantime, Bournemouth and Semenyo are back in action on December 27th. Semenyo will then have a chance to show Chelsea exactly what he can do when the Cherries finish off 2025 against the Blues at Stamford Bridge on December 30th.