Liverpool ready to bid for Antoine Semenyo in January as club prepares for Mo Salah exit

Semenyo is a top target for the Reds amongst several other Premier League sides, and has been touted for a big winter move ever since he shot to goalscoring form with Bournemouth in the early weeks of the season.

It was revealed earlier this autumn that the 25-year-old has a release clause worth an initial £60m plus £5m in add-ons within his Cherries contract, inserted when he signed a new deal to fend off interest from the likes of Tottenham Hotspur over the summer.

But an exit for the Ghana international feels an inevitability at this point, and Liverpool could be rivalled by Manchester City and Tottenham for his signature, amidst additional reported interest by Arsenal and Manchester United, both of whom are believed to be happy with their current strike-forces but are assessing the situation.

Reported by The Mirror, Liverpool have been given ‘transfer impetus’ by the current circumstances involving Salah and this could accelerate their approach for Semenyo once the January transfer window opens. But Spurs could offer Semenyo the best financial package amidst the club's new ownership structure led by Joe Lewis' children and their ambitions for sustained success on the pitch, as per BBC Sport.

Semenyo has been touted as a possible long-term replacement for Salah for a number of months, but few would have expected a replacement to be needed as urgently as this January. Following the Egyptian’s recent outburst following last weekend’s 3-3 draw away at Leeds United, though, the situation may have rapidly changed.

The 33-year-old Reds legend claimed he had been “thrown under a bus” by Arne Slot and the club, feeling as though he had been scapegoated for the club’s woeful run of form after the was dropped to the bench for three consecutive matches, only coming on as a substitute in one of them. Following his comments and the subsequent backlash by pundits and fans alike, Salah was left out of the squad to travel to Inter Milan entirely.

Salah departs for AFCON at the beginning of next week and there are no guarantees that he will play for Liverpool ever again thereafter, amidst resurfacing rumours of an exit to the Saudi Pro League, who would relish the opportunity to secure the signing of one of the most famous footballers on the planet. 

While a January exit for Salah would be an almighty turn of events in such a short space of time, comparable with when Cristiano Ronaldo departed Manchester United for Al-Nassr in January 2023, Liverpool’s pursuit of Semenyo reflects the fact that they feel planning for the future of their right-wing position has now become more urgent than ever.

The Mirror’s report continues that Liverpool may ‘have’ to move for Semenyo in January, with other situations ‘forcing their hand’ and resulting in the potential of a big-money move in the upcoming transfer window, which would take the Reds’ spending for the season over £500m ($669m).

Semenyo has scored six goals and laid on three assist in the Premier League this season, and the belief amongst many is that he is ready for the big step up. This includes his Ghana head coach Otto Addo, while Bournemouth are reportedly ‘braced’ to lose their star man.

Addo told The Athletic: “He has done very well at Bournemouth, but with all the respect for Bournemouth and what they’re doing, surely it is natural for him to take the next step. Whether it’s in the winter or summer, it is a different question but it won’t make a difference for us. I’m looking forward to him showing more of what he can to the world.”

Semenyo’s release clause is believed only to be active for the opening two weeks of the January window, meaning there is likely to be rapid progress on this deal if it was to go ahead this winter.

Debate over the future of Salah is then likely to rage on until the back end of the window, with AFCON coming to a close on January 18. It will be fascinating to who will be taking up Liverpool’s right-wing position by February 1, and whether both of Salah and Semenyo can coexist in the same squad together if the Egyptian opts to stay put until at least the end of the season.