WILL IT HAPPEN FAST: UNITED MOVES QUICKLY TO SEAL ANTOINE SEMENYO WISH FOR JANUARY START
Man United could offer Antoine Semenyo his favoured No. 24 shirt in a bid to sign the Bournemouth star. The in-form winger has a £65m release clause, but Liverpool and Man City are also interested.
Manchester United might let Antoine Semenyo have his favourite No. 24 jersey as they try to get the Bournemouth attacker to come to Old Trafford in January. Word is the Red Devils want to get the Ghana player from the south coast this winter and may have an advantage over other teams interested in him.
Semenyo, who is 25, has scored six times and assisted with three goals in only 11 Premier League games this season. Because of this, he is being talked about more and more as possibly moving to the Red Devils in the middle of the season, and knowing he could get his usual jersey might help in talks.
The No. 24 jersey is now being worn by goalie Andre Onana, who is playing for Trabzonspor until the season ends. But United might be okay with letting Semenyo have it.
This small thing could be very important in their attempt to get one of the most wanted players in the Premier League right now. Onana's time at United doesn't look good after some mistakes hurt his reputation, and Senne Lammens' success has made his spot even less secure.
The player they got from Royal Antwerp in the summer has been a great addition to United so far. So much so that Onana, who cost £43.4 million when he joined back up with Erik ten Hag, who used to be at Ajax, in 2023, already seems unnecessary.
After it came out that the player has a £65m release clause in his Bournemouth contract, there has been a lot of talk about Semenyo being available in January. The winger signed a new deal on the south coast this summer, but it's believed he only signed it understanding that the Cherries would put in a release clause.
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That's enough to suggest that Semenyo, who has said before that he would rather join Arsenal, would be willing to move if the right chance comes up. And the £65m price is pretty realistic for the teams that spend the most in England's top league. However, some may argue that relying heavily on targeted ads can lead to a lack of privacy and a sense of being constantly monitored. Additionally, while Semenyo's desire to join Arsenal is noted, numerous factors could influence his decision, including team dynamics and financial stability beyond mere transfer fees.
However, there are still some worries about whether United could spend that much money in the middle of the season. Ruben Amorim's team got Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha, and Benjamin Sesko for around £200m total, making some wonder where Semenyo would even fit into the starting lineup without taking out one of those players.
That being said, Semenyo has shown he can play in pretty much any attacking position, even the No. 10 spot. One idea could be to have him take that spot from Bruno Fernandes and move the Portugal star to a deeper spot in the midfield.
But, United supporters may be sad to hear they are not seen as favourably in the battle to sign Semenyo as some other teams. The Athletic says that Liverpool and Manchester City are in front to get him, with both teams probably more appealing to most players right now.
United could also give Semenyo the No. 9 shirt if they want to. The number is open since Rasmus Hojlund went to Napoli on loan during the summer.
Even though it might not seem like a big deal overall, having the correct shirt number really matters to some very talented players. It turns out Liverpool could also give him No. 24, but Josko Gvardiol is wearing that shirt for City at the moment.
INSIDE SENNE LAMMENS’ BLUEPRINT FOR MAN UNITED’S MASSIVE 2026 SUMMER TRANSFER OVERHAUL
"We want to be stronger." Read Senne Lammens' honest assessment of Manchester United’s squad needs after the Sunderland draw.
Senne Lammens isn’t hiding from the truth; he knows Manchester United have to beef up their squad this summer if they want to handle both the Premier League and Champions League next season.
Saturday’s 0-0 draw at Sunderland showed just how thin United are right now. Casemiro, Benjamin Sesko, and Manuel Ugarte all sat out with injuries, and you could feel their absence on the pitch.
It’s been a weird season for United. They played just 40 games, the fewest in over a century, because they were eliminated from Europe and both domestic cups so early. But now they’re back in the Champions League, and Lammens realises the team has to get deeper if they want to compete seriously.
“Yeah, definitely. This league’s tough, and next year’s schedule is going to be insane,” the goalkeeper said. “You want to have enough reliable players, people who can step up whenever they’re needed.”
Lammens made it clear that United must invest in new signings during the summer window. He’s not saying the squad lacks quality now, but he knows things will get tougher. “Honestly, I think we’ve got a lot of talent this year,” he said. “But next season’s going to ask a lot more from us, and you need to be ready for injuries and everything that can come with a busy year like today, when we missed a few regular starters. Being able to call on others to jump in really matters.”
He wants a strong, well-rounded group ready for the challenges ahead. “We’re already building towards that, but we want to be even stronger for next season.”
Some people wondered if United relaxed after they clinched their Champions League spot by beating Liverpool last weekend. Lammens brushed that idea off. He said head coach Michael Carrick was all over them, reminding everyone to finish the season on a high.
“I don’t think so, not for me at least,” Lammens said. “The manager made it clear that these last games are important. We want as many points as we can get and to finish as high as possible. How you end the season carries over. It’s your launchpad for next year. We want to keep the momentum going.”
He didn’t want to hear any excuses. “Honestly, if we’d played at Sunderland a few weeks ago before securing the Champions League, it still would’ve been tough. That wasn’t in our minds.”
Carrick echoed those thoughts after the match. He sounded almost annoyed when asked if the players were mentally on holiday already.
“I get almost offended by that,” he said. “The way the players prepared and battled out there, it’s clear they’re still focused. If we’d been off it, we’d have lost. Sunderland pushed us hard at times.”
He thinks the pride and responsibility of playing for Manchester United is all the motivation the team needs. “That’s what keeps us sharp, knowing we represent something big. That doesn’t guarantee we’ll always play brilliantly, but it’s enough to fight through tough days.”
MANCHESTER UNITED HOLD ADVANCED NEGOTIATIONS FOR RECORD-BREAKING £18M BETWAY SPONSORSHIP
Despite the upcoming front-of-shirt gambling ban, explore how Man United’s Betway deal targets training apparel at Carrington.
Manchester United are currently discussing a potential sponsorship deal with Betway, reportedly worth up to £18 million. This comes despite the Premier League having banned betting companies from featuring as main shirt sponsors starting from the 2026-27 season.
Back in 2023, Premier League clubs collectively agreed to remove gambling logos from the front of their shirts. From that point, no top-flight team will carry betting advertisements on their kits during matches. But this new deal would see Betway appear on United’s training gear, not their matchday shirts.
According to reports from the MEN, talks have progressed significantly. If an agreement were reached, the Betway logo would be quite visible on the training apparel worn by players at Carrington, United’s training ground. That means fans would regularly see the branding in video footage and photos taken during training sessions.
Previously, United’s training kits featured Tezos, a blockchain company, until that partnership ended in June 2025. Betway has its own history with English football; they’ve been shirt sponsors for West Ham United and maintain global gambling partnerships with several Premier League clubs, including Manchester City, Arsenal, and Brighton & Hove Albion.
The financial terms on the table for this Betway deal would be substantially close to £18 million, putting it on a similar scale to Bayern Munich’s partnership with Allianz, which includes stadium naming rights. This is quite a significant figure for a single training kit sponsor.
This season, United have gone without a sponsor on their training gear. After the Tezos contract expired, the club chose not to rush into a new agreement. They wanted to carefully evaluate potential partners, both from a financial standpoint and in terms of brand alignment.
There were even conversations with the African division of the Six Rivers Foundation, a conservation project in which United minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has invested. However, those discussions didn’t lead to a deal.
When majority owners Joel and Avram Glazer visited Carrington earlier this year, commercial revenue and sponsorship opportunities were among the key topics addressed. The club has also brought in marketing agency Two Circles, where ex-United sales manager Leo Thompson works, to help find a new sleeve sponsor, given that the current contract with DXC ends this summer.
Securing Champions League qualification for next season under Michael Carrick’s leadership has somewhat eased the process. United guaranteed their place in Europe’s top competition after a 3-2 victory over Liverpool at Old Trafford, which should make the club more attractive to potential commercial partners.
