Manchester City have moved with purpose in January by completing the signing of Antoine Semenyo from Bournemouth. The £64m deal brings one of the Premier League’s most explosive forwards to the Etihad at a critical stage of the season. It also sends a clear message to rivals that City are far from standing still.
Semenyo arrives on a five-and-a-half-year contract after a rise built on patience and persistence. From loan spells in the lower leagues to becoming Bournemouth’s match winner, his journey has followed a steady upward curve. His final act on the south coast, a stoppage-time winner against Tottenham, felt like a fitting farewell.
The numbers underline why City pushed hard. Semenyo has scored 10 league goals and added three assists this season, placing him among the division’s most productive wide attackers. Only Erling Haaland and Igor Thiago have bettered that tally so far.
City beat off interest from Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham to secure his signature. Director of football Hugo Viana made it clear the player’s choice mattered. “He made it clear to us immediately that it was City he wanted to join,” Viana said.
For Bournemouth, the deal represents another chapter in a remarkable period of trading. Semenyo becomes part of a £266.5m wave of departures in just six months. It reflects a club that has learned how to develop talent and sell at peak value.
The structure of the deal suited both sides. City will pay £62.5m over 24 months with £1.5m in bonuses, while Bournemouth earn more than the fixed release clause value. Bristol City also benefit, with a sell-on clause securing a share of the profit.
Semenyo’s words showed both pride and ambition. “My best football is yet to come,” he said. “I really feel I can help them have a strong second half of the season.”
He also spoke of the scale of the challenge ahead. “They have set the highest of standards,” Semenyo said. “It’s a real privilege to be here.”
From a tactical view, the signing makes clear sense. Pep Guardiola has long relied on wide players who can beat defenders and score goals. With injuries and form issues around City’s flanks, Semenyo adds directness, power and a threat on the counter.
City have leaned heavily on Haaland for goals this season. Semenyo offers another route to goal from either wing and brings a physical edge that suits big games. His ability to decide matches late, as Spurs discovered, could prove decisive in tight title races.
There is also symbolism in his shirt number. Semenyo will wear No.42, the same number he first wore at Bristol City and one once made iconic at City by Yaya Toure. “It was my first number,” he said. “That always stuck with me.”
For the fans, the mood is one of excitement mixed with expectation. City have spent heavily over the past year, and this signing feels aimed at the present as much as the future. As the season enters its defining stretch, Semenyo arrives not as a prospect, but as a player ready to make an impact now.
