CHELSEA are keen on a £65million move for Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo in January.
The 25-year-old winger has been subject to interest from almost all of the Premier League’s top clubs, with Chelsea the latest to enquire about the Ghanaian forward.
Enzo Maresca’s side invested heavily in their attack last summer by bringing in Alejandro Garnacho, Jamie Gittens, Estevao, Liam Delap, and Joao Pedro, among others.
However, Semenyo’s release clause may be too lucrative to pass up.
The Bournemouth forward, who can play across the front line, is available for just £65m for a limited time, as the clause expires on the 10th January.
That is why the Premier League’s big hitters have been queueing up for a move at a seemingly discounted price, with Manchester City and Man Utd both having been in talks with the player’s camp for days now.
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They’re not alone, with Liverpool holding an interest in Semenyo since November, and Tottenham also keen – although Semenyo has already ‘politely rejected’ Thomas Frank‘s side.
Semenyo has got eight goals and three assists in 16 Premier League matches so far this season, with Andoni Iraola‘s side 15th in the table.
That makes him the league’s third top scorer, behind Erling Haaland and Brentford striker Igor Thiago.
He would likely be a goal-scoring option on the left for the Blues, as well as providing cover up front when needed.
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The Blues intended to move for another attacker next summer, but the availability of a good market opportunity may accelerate that plan.
The jury is still out on the signings of Garnacho and Gittens, as they have shown plenty of promise and signs of creativity, but have so far lacked the killer instinct that Semenyo has shown in the league.
A factor that may benefit Chelsea’s approach is that the Ghanaian is a lifelong Blues fan and idolises Didier Drogba.
He revealed earlier this week on the AwayDays YouTube channel his hopes of playing in the Champions League, and reminisced on Drogba’s goal in the 2012 final vs Bayern.
He was wearing a Chelsea shirt at the time.
Still, he may be a better fit elsewhere in the Prem, with Liverpool in particular now needing cover for the injured Alexander Isak, and Mo Salah’s future still clouded by uncertainty.
However, last Friday, Slot indicated that January would not be the time for laying out even more big money after their £426m splurge that included Isak, Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz.
Man Utd previously believed they were the frontrunners for his signature, but Man City and Chelsea’s more recent approaches will weaken their position in that sense.
