Report: Man City to ‘explore’ £65m January signing

Interest in Antoine Semenyo Signals Important City Shift

Manchester City’s growing consideration of Antoine Semenyo reflects a club wrestling with an uncharacteristic issue, a shortage of goals from across the frontline. The Times report that City are weighing up whether to trigger the Bournemouth winger’s £65 million release clause when the winter window opens, and the logic behind that interest is clear from every angle. As they wrote, “City have not yet fully committed to making a move for Semenyo, but there is a feeling in some quarters that his arrival in January could give them the edge they need to reduce the gap between themselves and the Premier League leaders Arsenal in the second half of the campaign.”

Semenyo’s Rise and Why City Value Him

Semenyo’s transformation into one of the Premier League’s sharpest wide forwards has been striking. Six goals and three assists in twelve league games tell their own story, particularly in a Bournemouth side that has fought to establish rhythm under Andoni Iraola. His versatility matters just as much as his numbers. Pep Guardiola has always valued adaptable profiles and The Times noted that Semenyo has featured on both flanks and even centrally for Bournemouth. That blend of speed, power and positional flexibility is exactly the attribute set Guardiola has leaned upon in previous midseason squad adjustments.

There is also the quieter detail in The Times report that reminds City supporters of the threat he brings. One of Semenyo’s eleven league goals last season arrived against City in a Bournemouth win. Guardiola remembers players who hurt his sides.

Photo IMAGO

Support for Haaland at a Crucial Stage

The current campaign has exposed City’s reliance on Erling Haaland. Guardiola’s own concern has been public enough, and The Times highlighted the stark truth. Only Phil Foden has more than one league goal outside Haaland. Earlier iterations of City attacks spread scoring responsibility widely. Right now, that balance has drifted.

Foden himself captured the mood perfectly after the recent 3-2 win over Leeds United, a match settled by his 91st minute strike. “It can’t just come from him every game,” he warned, pointing out the need for others to step up when Haaland is marked out of matches. Those words echo the wider worry that Arsenal could accelerate clear if City do not rediscover their fluid, multi-scorer model.

January complicates matters further. Omar Marmoush will be absent for up to five weeks as he joins Egypt for the Africa Cup of Nations. With Savinho and Oscar Bobb struggling for impact, Guardiola has been forced to push Bernardo Silva and even Foden into wide roles. Semenyo would plug a gap and elevate the level simultaneously.

Arsenal Pressure and City’s Search for Momentum

Foden’s assessment that City cannot afford further slips carried weight. Arsenal’s consistency has left Guardiola’s side clinging on more than dictating. “When the opponents get better in the later stages of the season, we can’t afford to play like this because we’re going to lose the league,” Foden said. City’s entire structure depends on rhythm and control, and at present they are playing in narrow margins rather than sweeping patterns.

Photo: IMAGO

Semenyo will not fix everything, but he brings traits City are missing. Directness, goals from wide positions and availability, since Ghana have not qualified for Afcon. The Times added that his arrival could be City’s edge in the pursuit of Arsenal. Given the stakes, it feels a calculated risk that fits the club’s historical January pragmatism.

Our View – EPL Index Analysis

City supporters would likely greet the Semenyo development with a mix of curiosity and expectation. The fanbase have watched the team labour through games that used to feel routine. They would point to the Leeds match as proof of where the side currently stand, still winning but fighting through turbulence rather than suffocating contests with effortless circulation.

Semenyo represents something City have lacked; a winger who can run at defenders, commit them, and hit the goal with conviction. Fans recognise that Jérémy Doku brings chaos and acceleration, but not always end product. Savinho and Oscar Bobb have talent but not yet the reliability expected of title chasers. Semenyo’s output at Bournemouth speaks to efficiency, not just promise.

Fans will also focus on the Africa Cup of Nations situation. Marmoush’s absence comes at the worst possible time, precisely when Arsenal look strong and points cannot be dropped. The notion that Semenyo is available throughout January, while others are not, would appeal to supporters who remember how small contributions in winter windows have nudged City toward titles before.

Most fans would still acknowledge that £65 million for a player not yet proven at elite European level is a gamble, but one that fits the club’s proactive mentality. They would frame Semenyo as a squad enhancer in a season where every marginal gain counts. City fans want variety around Haaland and a reduction of predictable patterns. Semenyo brings that unpredictability. This feels like an opportunity worth taking rather than one to fear.