Man Utd enter Antoine Semenyo race! Red Devils ready to trigger £65m release clause as Ruben Amorim's side prepare to battle Spurs, Man City and Liverpool for Bournemouth ace

United's hierarchy views the opportunity to sign the 25-year-old Ghana international as one they must genuinely consider, per the Independent, especially given Amad Diallo and Bryan Mbeumo's upcoming Africa Cup of Nations duties, which would deplete their attacking options. Ghana have not qualified for the World Cup, but won’t appear at AFCON. And while the Red Devils would prefer a summer bid, they may be forced into a January move if a rival activates the clause. A primary concern for United remains financial, as the £65m fee could impact their priority of signing a defensive midfielder in the summer due to PSR rules. 

United head coach Ruben Amorim recently hailed Semenyo, saying: "They (Bournemouth) have a special player... He can play both sides with both feet. I think there is a lot of special players in the league. What I feel is that it's to summarise the top manager, top team. I really like the team and the top player. I think he is a special player." 

Amorim had a front-row seat to watch another excellent performance from Semenyo, during the thrilling 4-4 clash between United and Bournemouth on Monday night. The Ghana international levelled the match at 1-all, but was lucky to stay on the pitch following a confrontation with Diogo Dalot. Approaching half-time with the game tied, Semenyo clashed with Dalot, raising his hands during a heated exchange and appeared to grab the Portuguese international’s throat. The incident quickly escalated, drawing players from both teams, and prompting Bruno Fernandes to intervene. 

Former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg spoke about the event, which saw Semenyo receive a yellow card. Clattenburg said: "Semenyo was issued a yellow card for raising his hand to Diogo Dalot after a foul had been awarded. The yellow card was the correct decision as it was a brief touch and not a grasp to the throat which could have had an element of malice. If that was the case, it could have upgraded the yellow card to a red card."

Amorim is navigating a complex transfer landscape at Old Trafford as he attempts to build a squad capable of implementing his favoured 3-4-3 system. The primary dilemma is financial, as the club must sell players to comply with PSR Rules before making significant new signings, a situation Amorim has openly admitted. This financial constraint complicates the necessary squad overhaul and the management of player expectations; with a large squad and fewer games currently, several players, including academy graduate Kobbie Mainoo, are reportedly frustrated by a lack of game time and could seek moves away. 

Amorim is targeting several key positions to add specific profiles that suit his tactical demands. A central midfielder, either a number six or a box-to-box number eight, is a top priority, with existing options struggling or aging. He also wants to recruit more attack-minded wing-backs, especially on the left side, to provide the necessary width and attacking threat in his system. Reinforcements at centre-back and potentially another striker are also on the wishlist. 

Potential targets linked to the club in recent windows have included promising midfielders such as Brighton's Carlos Baleba and Crystal Palace's Adam Wharton, and Semenyo. The need to offload current players first means these potential incomings remain complicated.