Manchester City have completed the signing of Ghana international Antoine Semenyo from Bournemouth in a deal worth an initial £62.5 million ($84 million), with potential add-ons taking it to around £64 million ($87 million).
Semenyo arrives at Etihad
The 26-year-old forward has penned a five-and-a-half-year contract until June 2031, becoming the Premier League champions’ first acquisition of the January transfer window.
Semenyo, a versatile attacker who excels on either wing or centrally, joins after a stellar season at Bournemouth. He netted 10 goals and provided three assists in 20 Premier League appearances, ranking third in the scoring charts behind City’s Erling Haaland and Brentford’s Igor Thiago.
His Bournemouth farewell came in dramatic fashion: a 94th-minute winner against Tottenham on his birthday, 7 January, securing a 3-2 victory.
“I am so proud to have joined Manchester City,” Semenyo said. “I have watched City over the last decade under Pep Guardiola, and they have been the dominant team in the Premier League as well as achieving amazing things in the Champions League, FA Cup and League Cup.
“They have set the highest of standards and it’s a club with world-class players, world-class facilities and one of the greatest managers ever in Pep.
“I have so much scope for improvement, so to be at this club, at this stage of my career, is perfect for me. It’s a real privilege to be here. My best football is yet to come, I am sure of that.”
Guardiola hails new signing
City director of football Hugo Viana praised the capture: “Antoine is a really exciting signing for the football club. He made it clear to us immediately that it was City he wanted to join. He has shown he can perform in the Premier League. He is humble, hard-working, professional and totally focused on being a better footballer. He is ideal for us.”
Pep Guardiola confirmed Semenyo’s availability for Saturday’s FA Cup third-round tie against Exeter. “He was extraordinary at Bournemouth, he can play on both sides, he knows the Premier League and many clubs wanted him and he decided to join us,” Guardiola said.
City fended off interest from Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham. Semenyo’s rise has been meteoric: rejected by top academies as a youth, he broke through at Bristol City before joining Bournemouth for £10 million in January 2023.
Renowned for pace, physicality, two-footedness and relentless pressing – winning more balls in the final third than any Premier League player since last season – he bolsters City’s wide options alongside Jérémy Doku, Savinho, Omar Marmoush and the injured Oscar Bobb.
Record sale for Bournemouth
The transfer sets a record outgoing for Bournemouth, with Bristol City due 20% of the profit. Manager Andoni Iraola acknowledged the departure but highlighted the club’s player-trading success.
As City trail leaders Arsenal by six points with 17 games left, Semenyo’s addition underscores their ambition for domestic and European glory. The Ghana star could debut this weekend, launching a new era in his remarkable journey from lower leagues to elite football.
