AFC Bournemouth head coach Andoni Iraola has expressed his desire to keep hold of Antoine Semenyo amid reports that his star winger could leave in the January transfer window.
The Ghanaian player has, according to widespread reports, a release clause in his contract with Bournemouth that is valued at £65m and expires during the window, which opens on 1 January and closes at 19:00 GMT on 2 February.
Media reports have suggested that Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur have all expressed interest in activating the clause for the player who is joint-third in the Premier League’s Coca-Cola Golden Boot race, with eight goals, including two in his past two games. Reports from The Athletic (subscription required) this evening suggest that Semenyo’s preferred destination is Man City.
Overall, Semenyo has 28 goals and 10 assists in 97 Premier League appearances.
The Breakdown on Semenyo
"You never know what is going to happen," Iraola said in his press conference for the trip to Brentford on 27 December.
"In the summer there were a lot of movements. I don't know what's going to happen in the winter movements.
"At the end, you sign a contract and understand that both parties are happy when you sign it. But me as a coach, I can only tell you I hope we don’t lose him, because he is very important for us.
"I don't know what is going to happen. I can't control what's going to happen.
"Antoine, for me, has been performing very well. Not just the last two games where he has scored. He has consistently been very good since the beginning. Even when not scoring, he is still valuable for us. At the end, we don’t just demand numbers. It is no secret he is a massive player for us."
As Iraola referenced, there was a lot of movement at Bournemouth in the summer transfer window, with defenders Dean Huijsen (Real Madrid), Illia Zabarnyi (Paris St-Germain), Milos Kerkez (Liverpool) and winger Dango Ouattara (Brentford) all leaving.
Bournemouth have often sold players to clubs involved in UEFA competitions but it has not stalled their progress. They are currently 15th in the table with 22 points.