It would have been easy to miss amid all of the excitement generated during arguably the most dramatic international break of all time – but some very big transfer news broke earlier this week. According to the very reliable David Ornstein, Antoine Semenyo has a £65 million ($85m) release clause in his Bournemouth contract that can be triggered during the first two weeks of the winter window.
Given the Ghana international is arguably one of the most exciting wingers operating in Europe right now, the revelation has unsurprisingly sparked widespread speculation over Semenyo's immediate future, with the presumption being that a January move away from the Vitality Stadium is now inevitable.
The 25-year-old won't be short on offers, that's for sure. Indeed, Semenyo has been linked with every member of the Premier League's 'Big Six'. But which club would actually suit him best: Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United or Tottenham? GOAL ranks Semenyo's options:
Getty6Chelsea
Chelsea love nothing better than signing wingers, so one can be sure that the decision-makers at Stamford Bridge have at least discussed signing Semenyo – particularly as he's available at such an attractive price. However, even accounting for the Blues' wild approach to squad-building, it's difficult to envisage them bringing in another wideman in January unless one leaves – and that appears highly unlikely as it stands.
Jamie Gittens may be struggling at Stamford Bridge but he only joined during the summer – just like fellow left winger Alejandro Garnacho, who has been showing signs of life in recent weeks. As for the right-wing options, Pedro Neto remains one of Enzo Maresca's more productive players, while Estevao is unquestionably a superstar-in-the-making – as he illustrated with his performances for Brazil during the international break.
Basically, Chelsea have no need for Semenyo, who would be wise to avoid getting caught up in the revolving-door approach to recruitment in west London.
AdvertisementGetty Images Sport5Manchester United
Manchester United reportedly offered Bournemouth £50m for Semenyo last January – and it was easy to understand why. As a strong, pacey, hard-running, two-footed attacker, he looked an ideal fit for one of the inside-forward positions in Ruben Amorim's precious 3-4-2-1 formation.
Semenyo still does, in fairness, but after getting a deal done for Matheus Cunha shortly after the summer transfer window opened, United also eventually managed to persuade Brentford to part company with Bryan Mbeumo, who's been one of their better players so far this season.
Of course, all three are multi-talented footballers capable of playing pretty much anywhere across the frontline, so Amorim could, at least in theory, move Cunha into the central striking role (where he's been used by Brazil) to make room for Semenyo. After all, it's not as if Benjamin Sesko is looking like the answer to United's long-running search for a world-class No.9.
However, times are tight at Old Trafford (though maybe not as tight as Sir Jim Ratcliffe likes to make out), meaning United are unlikely to spend a significant sum of money on a position that doesn't necessarily need strengthening.
Getty Images Sport4Arsenal
Who wouldn't want to play for Arsenal right now? The Gunners are currently top of the Premier League and have won all four of the games in the Champions League. Semenyo would probably jump at the chance to move to north London, too, given he's an Arsenal fan and even had a trial with the club as a teenager.
However, it would arguably be a case of the heart ruling the head, because, at 25 years of age, Semenyo wants to be playing first-team football for a top team – and there's no guarantee of regular game time at the Emirates these days.
Mikel Arteta is in possession of arguably the strongest squad in England and that's partly down to the fact that Arsenal brought in two more attackers during the summer in Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze. Arsenal have been reportedly tracking Semenyo for some time – he even scored against the Gunners last season – but they're hardly lacking in options on the left wing, while Bukayo Saka remains a certain starter on the right.
So, while this is definitely the most romantic option for Semenyo, it doesn't actually make much sense from a purely sporting perspective.
Getty Images Sport3Tottenham
Just like United, Spurs were heavily linked with Semenyo during the summer. And just like United, they ended looking elsewhere after he extended his contract with Bournemouth until 2030.
However, while Mohammed Kudus was a smart signing for the right-hand side, Spurs are still lacking a penetrative force down the left flank because Netherlands attacking midfielder Xavi Simons is better suited to a central role and if anyone thinks that Richarlison is the answer, they've not understood the question. It would, thus, be a massive surprise if Spurs are not seriously considering at least speaking with Semenyo and his representatives to establish the full cost of any potential deal.
Of course, Spurs will be acutely aware that a buy-out close doesn't make a transfer a formality. They thought they had a deal for Morgan Gibbs-White wrapped up during the summer, only for Nottingham Forest to dig their heels in and convince the England international to sign a new deal at the City Ground.
However, Bournemouth have been very open about the fact that they will not stand in Semenyo's way if he wants to join a Champions League club, meaning a January exit is now looking very likely indeed. Whether Arsenal fan Semenyo would really want to join Spurs is a different story altogether, though – particularly as there will almost certainly be other, more exciting options available to him…