Chelsea could have signed Antoine Semenyo in 2019 when the winger was worth just £2 million.
Semenyo came to the West London club’s attention while on loan at Newport Country from parent club Bristol City.
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The then 19-year-old flourished with the Welsh side in League Two after making his debut for the Robins on the final day of the 2018/19 season.
A temporary move to Newport followed, with Semenyo scoring six goals in 32 games.
Approaching the signing
Chelsea were impressed with Semenyo’s performance and even made a £1million offer for the star.
The Blues saw Semenyo as a candidate for their U23 team with the potential to develop him into a senior player.
However, the move fell through as Chelsea were unable to match the £2m valuation for their young star from Bristol City.
It proved to be a masterstroke for the Championship side, who sold Semenyo to Bournemouth for £10million in January 2023.
Since then he has established himself as one of the best players in the Premier League, winning over a number of suitors – including Chelsea.
The 25-year-old is the Premier League’s third highest goalscorer this season with eight goals in 16 games.
Semenyo’s state of affairs
Semenyo could well move in January after it was revealed that a release clause of between £60m and £65m could come into effect by January 10th.
Manchester City are leading the race to sign him, but The Pitch Prospect understands Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham are all interested in the winger.
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City are one step ahead of their rivals having already held talks with the Ghanaian over a move next month and The Pitch Prospect understands the player is leaning towards a move to the Etihad Stadium.
Both Chelsea and Liverpool would prefer to complete a deal in the summer should the winger stay at Bournemouth.
Meanwhile, Arsenal are only likely to consider a deal if one of their existing wide players leaves the club in the January window.
Currently, Manchester United are the most likely contenders in City’s hopes of signing Semenyo.
United coach Ruben Amorim hopes to further strengthen his attacking options as he continues the rebuild at Old Trafford.
Bournemouth appear resigned to losing their star player, especially if one of his suitors activates his release clause.
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Speaking about his player’s future, Bournemouth coach Andoni Iraola said on Tuesday: “Semenyo is with us right now. He trained with us today.
“I know there is a lot of noise around him. Not my worry, my worry is that it doesn’t affect his performances. That’s not possible, he’s very committed to the team and I hope we can keep him here.
“It’s a situation we can’t control, but Antoine is our player at the moment. Will continue to play for us. If you ask me: I don’t want to lose him, definitely not. But every time the market opens, you never know what will happen.
“For me, Antoine has performed very well. Not just the last two games in which he scored. He was consistently very good from the start.
“Even if he doesn’t score, he’s still valuable to us. At the end of the day, we’re not just asking for numbers. It’s no secret that he’s a big player for us.”
Asked if he could understand why there was so much interest in Semenyo, Iraola added: “Yes, he is doing amazingly well.
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“But many wingers from other teams also show amazing performances.
“Almost all teams in the league have a difference maker. Especially offensively. I don’t know what will happen in the winter market.”