£65M RACE: MAN CITY LEADS FOUR-WAY HUNT FOR ANTOINE SEMENYO
Antoine Semenyo's £65M exit clause has triggered a four-way transfer war between Man City, Liverpool, Man Utd, and Tottenham, with City reportedly leading the race.
All eyes are on Antoine Semenyo, with Manchester City, Liverpool, Manchester United, and Tottenham all in the mix to grab the Bournemouth star.
Manchester City: Word is City is really looking at triggering Semenyo's exit clause. They've reportedly asked about him and see him as a great addition to their offence.
Manchester United: United is also interested and wants to add him to their attacking options, particularly since they need more firepower in January.
Tottenham Hotspur: Spurs are reportedly pushing harder to get Semenyo before their rivals do. They didn't want to pay Bournemouth's price last summer, but now they seem ready to meet the asking price, according to Sky Sports.
Liverpool: Arne Slot's team has liked Semenyo for a while and thinks he could eventually replace Mohamed Salah. Still, they're said to be making a backup plan because Manchester City is so interested.
Exit Clause: Semenyo's deal apparently has an exit clause, usually said to be around £65 million.
Clause Deadline: Some say the clause only works during the first week of January, or that it has to be activated by a secret date in January so Bournemouth has time to find a replacement.
Future Clause: Interestingly, one report says the exit clause drops to about £50 million in the summer of 2026, which might be why Bournemouth wants to sell him in January.
Great Stats: The 25-year-old from Ghana has played well for Bournemouth, scoring six goals and making three assists in just 12 Premier League games this season.
Sell-on Clause: His old club, Bristol City, stands to gain a lot if he moves because of a reported 20% sell-on clause. If the £65 million clause is met, Bristol City could get around £11 million.
£35M LOSS: ANALYZING THE COLLAPSE OF HARVEY ELLIOTT'S MANDATORY VILLA TRANSFER
Harvey Elliott's loan to Aston Villa is ending early after just six months. The mandatory £35M purchase clause is now unlikely to be activated.
Harvey Elliott's time at Aston Villa might be cut short. Just six months after joining the club, he might be leaving in January.
The attacking midfielder came from Liverpool on a season-long loan on deadline day in September.
The deal with Villa included a requirement to buy him, plus clauses about selling him later or buying him back.
But, Elliott hasn't played much since joining Villa, even though they won against other teams in the Premier League and Europe to get him.
Unai Emery said that the club is looking at what to do with the 22-year-old before the next transfer window opens next month.
This comes after Elliott didn't travel with the team for their Europa League game against Basel on Thursday.
Emery talked about Elliott's future at Villa in a press conference before a game.
He said, We're talking with him about his situation.
He's not with us. We hope we can find the best solution for him and for us.
I respect him as a player and as a person. He's training well, but there's a situation with him.
Hopefully, we can find a solution for him to play often and continue his career, either with us or somewhere else.
Elliott has played in only five games for Villa since joining, scoring once.
His last game was a short four-minute appearance against Feyenoord in the Europa League in October.
He hasn't been in the squad for any of Villa's last seven Premier League games.
Emery added, I've spoken with him two or three times about the situation.
First, my decision and also the situation. He's on loan with us, but he's not really contributing to us with a permanent contract.
This is a setback for Liverpool.
Liverpool was supposed to get £35 million when Elliott's loan to Villa became a permanent deal.
But the requirement to buy him kicks in only if he plays in 10 games for the club.
So, the Reds will likely miss out on that money this summer since he's only played about half that many games.
If Elliott leaves Villa, he'll likely have to return to Anfield in January.
The former England under-21 player played twice for Liverpool this season before being loaned out.
FIFA rules say players can only play for two clubs in one season.
Elliott could get around this rule by joining a club in a league that runs from summer to winter, like those in the MLS.
BUNDESLIGA STAR: ANALYZING NATHANIEL BROWN'S FIT FOR TOTTENHAM'S DEFENSE
An analytical look at Nathaniel Brown's Bundesliga performance shows why he is a top target for Spurs. Can they beat out three major rivals for the defender?
According to a recent report from journalist Dean Jones, Tottenham Hotspur will have a tough time signing Eintracht Frankfurt left-back Nathaniel Brown. Spurs will have to compete with Manchester City, West Ham United, Manchester United, and Arsenal to get the German defender next year.
Brown has played well on Frankfurt’s left side this season. The 22-year-old has one goal and four assists in 20 games for the German club in all competitions.
The German player has shown he can defend well, with 30 tackles, 15 blocks, ten interceptions, and 16 clearances in the Bundesliga. He also passes the ball well from the left, with an 81.3% pass success rate in the German top league (stats via fbref.com).
His contract with the German club ends in the summer of 2030, so it won’t be easy for Tottenham to sign him next year.
Should Tottenham Hotspur Manager Thomas Frank Sign Brown?
Brown is a good tackler and times his challenges well to win the ball back. He clears the ball when the other team is attacking and is also a good passer.
The German player can score and assist goals from the left. Brown is mainly a left-back but can also play as a left-sided midfielder if needed. We’ll see if he can handle the Premier League’s physicality and intensity if Spurs sign him next year.
Brown would make Tottenham manager Thomas Frank’s defence better and deeper. He could earn a regular spot in the first team at the North London club in the years ahead.
At 22, Brown could become a star in English soccer if he keeps improving each season. Overall, Frank should sign him in 2026.