Chelsea join race for Antoine Semenyo! Blues make contact with Bournemouth star's camp over potential £65m January transfer

Semenyo has emerged as a top transfer target for a host of Premier League giants this winter. Manchester United are hoping to add the 25-year-old to their ranks in a bid to solve their issues on the left flank, while Manchester City and Liverpool are also in the race. Liverpool have just lost summer signing Alexander Isak to a leg fracture, meaning the Reds may well dip into the transfer marker for a new attacker. Semenyo has been tipped to make a quick decision on his future as clubs queue up to sign the impressive Bournemouth star.

Chelsea may have invested heavily in the summer but the Blues are willing to splash out again in January on Semenyo, according to The Athletic. The Blues have been in touch to make an initial enquiry and could now "accelerate" their plans this winter. Chelsea had initially been willing to wait until the summer to sign a new forward but Semenyo's availability this winter -  due to a release clause that can be activated - appears to have changed the club's transfer plans. Semenyo has eight goals and three assists for Bournemouth so far this season in 16 Premier League outings.

Looking for smarter football bets? Get expert previews, data-driven predictions & winning insights with GOAL Tips on Telegram. Join our growing community now!

Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola has been quizzed on Semenyo's future and says he wants him to stay but knows it may be difficult. He told reporters: "Antoine Semenyo right now is with us. He has trained today with us, very well. I understand that there is a lot of noise around Antoine. But my concern is that it doesn't affect him, his performances and we are seeing that it is not affecting his performances. He is very committed to the team and I hope we can keep him there. There are situations that we cannot control, but right now, Antoine is our player and he's going to continue playing for us. If you ask me, I don't want to lose him, definitely don't want to lose him. But like we always say, every time the market opens, you never know what's going to happen."

Iraola also highlighted Semenyo's importance to Bournemouth, adding: "Antoine, for me, has been performing very well. Not just the last two games because he has scored. The level of consistency has been very good since the beginning of the season. He has had moments where he hasn't scored and has still been very valuable for us. At the end, we demand not only the numbers, but he gives us a lot of things. It's no secret he is a massive player for us."

All signs are now pointing to Semenyo leaving Bournemouth in January and moving on, although fans will have to wait and see which club wins the race for his signature. Semenyo has spoken about his future recently but didn't seem too fazed by the speculation. He told Sky Sports: "I don't think about it too much. I try to stay present as much as I can. You see the news all the time, I see it as well, I'm not oblivious, but I try to keep focused. I'm enjoying my football here. If I'm not scoring goals, all of that goes away. I try to stay present, do the best I can for the team, score goals and whatever happens in the future happens."

Bournemouth are due to finish off 2025 with Premier League games against Brentford and Chelsea before the transfer window opens on January 1.  The games could potentially be Semenyo's last in a Bournemouth shirt if he does indeed make a quick decision on his future.