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ANTOINE SEMENYO DECLARES COMMITMENT TO BOURNEMOUTH WHILE TRANSFER RUMOURS INTENSIFY

Bournemouth's Antoine Semenyo is a £75m target for Liverpool, Man City, and Man Utd after a stellar season. Despite the transfer links, the Ghana star says he is "happy" and committed to the Cherries for now.

Antoine Semenyo declares commitment to Bournemouth while transfer rumours intensify
Semenyo stays devoted to Bournemouth - Photo Credit: Getty Images

Antoine Semenyo of Bournemouth has been the subject of much rumour lately regarding a possible transfer. The Ghanaian international has made 11 appearances so far this season, scoring six goals and providing three assists. For a goal involvement every 110 minutes, that is good. A major factor in Bournemouth's successful start this season has been Semenyo's play.

Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Spurs are reportedly all vying for Semenyo, with some teams possibly hoping to finalise a deal during the January transfer window, according to reports from a number of sources over the past several days. Semenyo's desire to relocate this winter has also been hinted at in some stories. Semenyo recently told Sky Sports that he is aware of the rumours but that he is content with his current situation and dedicated to Bournemouth.

I do not give it much thought. I make every effort to be in the moment. You and I both constantly watch the news; I am not blind to it, but I make an effort to stay focused. I am having fun playing football here. All of that disappears if I am not scoring goals. I make an effort to be there, give the team my best effort, score goals, and deal with whatever comes up in the future.

There was a lot of interest and back and forth with the club when they [his old teammates] all went [in the summer]. However, I had a sneaking suspicion that the management had something planned for this year. We had a fantastic season finale last year, and we could keep going, especially with the guys we have added. We have gotten started like a house on fire, even if I was not really sure at first. I am happy I made the decision to stay here since I am having a great time.

Liverpool is naturally considering Semenyo as a long-term replacement for the Egyptian legend Mohamed Salah, who has been suffering this season. According to local transfer guru Dave OCKOP, Liverpool and Bournemouth are holding preliminary exploratory discussions over a summer deal. Although Bournemouth would undoubtedly like to hang onto the player, the team has a track record of making money off of players they purchase at a discount. Semenyo was first acquired by the Cherries in 2023 for £10.5 million, and a few years later, they are aiming for about £75 million. Semenyo was first recruited to Bournemouth by Richard Hughes, the current sporting director of Liverpool.

Tim Bezbatchenko, the club's current general manager, has said that when the "big" clubs approach, Bournemouth will always have to listen to agreements. In an interview with the Business of Sport podcast, he stated that as long as Bournemouth can benefit fairly, the club will not obstruct players' moves.

Who are we to say, 'No, you can not travel, you can not fulfil your ambition,' when teams like Real Madrid, Liverpool, and PSG enter the race for Champions League spots? Since not everyone is a Real Madrid supporter, it would not be that way for every club. However, there is a chance, and everyone benefits, right? That, in my opinion, is what we are looking for—a shared experience where everyone benefits.

VAR REVIEW: CHELSEA 2-2 BOURNEMOUTH, ESTêVãO PENALTY DRAMA EXPLAINED! WAS IT A FOUL OR A DIVE

Explaining the VAR: How an 11th-minute penalty check at Stamford Bridge saved a point for Chelsea against a resilient Bournemouth.

top-news
Antoine Semenyo’s clumsy challenge handed Chelsea a vital lifeline

Every week, the Video Assistant Referee stirs up drama in the Premier League. Let's break down how these calls are made and if they're actually right.

This season, we're digging into the big moments to explain the VAR process and the rules of the game.

What went down: Chelsea's Estêvão was moving into the Bournemouth box, with Antoine Semenyo on his tail. Estêvão went down after some contact with Semenyo. The ref, Barrott, waved off Chelsea's penalty shouts, saying there wasn't a foul. He thought both players made contact naturally as they were running, and Estêvão basically tripped himself.

VAR said, "After looking at it, VAR Pawson suggested Barrott take another look at the monitor for a possible penalty because Semenyo might have tripped Estêvão."

VAR's take: Pawson had to figure out if the contact was just part of the play, like the ref thought, or if Semenyo fouled Estêvão. It was clear Estêvão tripped, but the question was how the contact started.

At first glance, it would be hard for Pawson to disagree with the ref because the main TV angle wasn't clear. But after checking out the sideline and behind views, Pawson saw that Semenyo stepped into Estêvão's path, making enough contact with his leg to cause him to trip.

Pawson told Barrott to check the monitor for a possible penalty. Barrott watched the replays, agreed, and gave Chelsea the penalty.

The call: It was a reasonable VAR call based on today's standards. But it's a borderline case.

Barrott seemed unsure of the monitor and needed some convincing from different angles.

A lot of the time, this kind of contact is just from players running normally, and someone goes down. To give a penalty, there really needs to be a clear foul by the defender. You could say that happened here, but it's a pretty low standard for VAR to get involved.

Chelsea 2-2 AFC Bournemouth

Referee: Sam Barrott

VAR: Craig Pawson

What: VAR check for a foul in the box

When: 11th minute

BREAKING: UNAI EMERY REVEALS THE REAL REASON BEHIND HIS COLD ARTETA HANDSHAKE SNUB NOW

Unai Emery explains why he skipped the post-match handshake as Arsenal’s 4-1 win ends Aston Villa’s 11-game streak at the Emirates.

top-news
Emery snubs Arteta's handshake

Unai Emery said he didn't shake Mikel Arteta's hand right after Aston Villa lost at the Emirates Stadium since the Arsenal manager kept him waiting.

This loss stopped Villa's winning streak at 11 games, their first in almost two months.

Villa held their own in the first half, but Arsenal scored early in the second when Gabriel got to the ball before Emi Martinez on a corner.

Martin Zubimendi quickly made it 2-0, and Leandro Trossard scored a third goal a little after an hour had passed.

Soon after entering the pitch, Gabriel Jesus scored, making it 4-0. Ollie Watkins was able to respond by tapping in a goal late in the game after Donyell Malen's nice play.

After the game, Emery waited to shake Arteta's hand, but he went to the locker room since Arteta was still celebrating with his team.

It’s easy to see. I like to do things fast,” Emery said when asked about why he didn’t shake Arteta’s hand.

“I shake hands, then I go to the dressing room with my players and coaches. I was waiting.

“Arteta was busy with his coaches, so I went inside. It’s not a big deal for me.”

About the match, Emery commented, “We played great in the first half, and things were going our way. We had corners and defended well. We didn’t let them get a corner in the first half.

“We felt good, but we let in the first goal in the second half. Onana getting hurt didn’t help since he’s important for set pieces and in the midfield.

“We didn’t quit, and we kept playing hard. We scored one goal and almost scored more. Arsenal is the best team in the league and should win the title.

“I’m not sure which day it is since we’ve played Arsenal twice already, and we still have to play Nottingham. But I’m happy with our goals and how we're trying to attain them.

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