Manchester City have completed the signing of Antoine Semenyo from Bournemouth on a five-and-a-half year contract.
The Premier League title contenders have completed a £62.5million deal – a record sale for Bournemouth – after activating the winger’s release clause at the Cherries.
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City will pay slightly more than his £60m release clause, while the deal also includes potential £1.5m add-ons.
Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur have all been linked, but it is City who have won the race for Semenyo.
However, Liverpool have never made an official commitment to the player.
He arrives at the Etihad Stadium to sign a statement ahead of the second half of the 2025/26 season.
City are locked in a neck-and-neck race with Arsenal for the Premier League title, with Pep Guardiola’s side having lost ground to the Gunners in recent games.
They have drawn their last three games – against Brighton, Chelsea and Sunderland – with Arsenal five points clear at the top of the Premier League table ahead of their home showdown against Liverpool on Thursday night.
However, the acquisition of Semenyo could have a motivating effect on City and help them put more pressure on Mikel Arteta’s men.
Semenyo’s former club earns high salaries
Semenyo scored 32 goals in 110 games in all competitions for Bournemouth, with his latest act being a win against Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday.
The Ghana international moved from Championship side Bristol City in January 2023, who will receive a huge financial boost as a result.
The Pitch Prospect understands they will earn 20 per cent of the profit Bournemouth makes from the transfer.
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Semenyo signed for the Cherries for around £10 million. With Bournemouth making a profit of around £52.5m, Bristol City are expected to receive around £10.5m from their move to Manchester.
The new City star joined the Robins’ academy in 2017 and has been on loan at Bath City, Newport County and Sunderland.
Semenyo played 125 games for Bristol City’s senior team, scoring 21 goals and providing a further 21 assists.
After leaving the club and excelling at Bournemouth, he has earned a move to one of the biggest clubs in the country.
He has the opportunity to make his debut in European football as City prepare for the knockout stages of the Champions League.
They are in fourth place in the league phase and will reach the round of 16 with a top 8 result.
UEFA rules allow clubs participating in all three competitions to register a maximum of three new eligible players in January.
City can therefore add Semenyo to their squad after the conclusion of the league phase and before the start of the knockout phase.