Sport

Manchester City reach ‘agreement in principle’ to sign winger Antoine Semenyo

He's some player, that's for sure.

Danny Jones Danny Jones - 2nd January 2026

Yes, if the latest reports are to be believed, Man City are further bolstering their offensive options with a deal for another wide forward in Bournemouth star, Antoine Semenyo, now virtually done.

Having emerged as one of the Premier League’s hottest properties over the past couple of years, Antoine Semenyo has gone from not only being an extremely prolific winger, but beyond a flavour of the month, with multiple teams expressing their interest in recent months.

That being said, despite being linked with local rivals Manchester United, current champions Liverpool and an already heavily staffed Chelsea side, it looks as though City have now won the race to sign Semenyo – one they seem to have been leading since the start.

According to sports journalists Ben Jacobs and Alex Crook, the Blues have now reached an ‘agreement in principle’ for the Ghanaian international, meaning it is merely just a case of crossing Ts and dotting Is.

As per the update on New Year’s Day (and the opening 24 hours of the 2026 January transfer window), the talkSPORT correspondents claim that while final personal terms are still to be fully confirmed, the deal is effectively done.

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This comes after Man City had already been reported to be activating his sizeable release clause in late December.

Semenyo’s release clause was set at £65 million, which is approximately the same figure they sold former striker Dominic Solanke to Spurs for, but inevitable add-ons and bonuses are likely to set a club record fee in terms of player sales.

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Writing on social media, Crook said: “Semenyo move from #AFCB to #MCFC pretty much done now. Deal agreed in principle, and contracts being drafted by the two clubs.”

Moreover, Semenyo joining City could also set a few other dominoes in motion once officially over the line and fully announced…

However, it is also thought that manager Andoni Iraola’s insistence that the draw against Chelsea was “definitely not” his last game suggests that City fans will still have to wait some more before they see him in the sky blue strip.

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The Cherries’ boss has been clear that he wants his attacking talisman to feature in their upcoming game against Arsenal this weekend.

As a result, this will most likely see completion of the albeit all but done transfer delayed even further, hence why Pep Guardiola and co. will have to wait to try him in the starting XI.

It’s also worth noting that although the 25-year-old made it clear he doesn’t just want somewhere he can win trophies, but has already named the Etihad Stadium as his desired destination, many have suggested that he could end up losing momentum amid the wealth of attackers being rotated.

Happy with the business, Blues? And as for you neutrals, do you think it’s the right next step for him?

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Featured Images — Sky Sports/AFC Bournemouth (screenshots via YouTube)