Antoine Semenyo’s recent form and contract terms have pushed the Bournemouth winger firmly into the Premier League conversation. The 25-year-old scored six goals and supplied three assists in the first seven games of the campaign, and his new deal contains a release clause set at £65 million ($86.6 million). That combination has prompted renewed attention from several top clubs ahead of the January window.

Manchester City are reported to be the primary contenders to consider activating the clause as early as the winter window. Liverpool retain a structural advantage through sporting director Richard Hughes, who brought the winger to Bournemouth in 2023. Manchester United are understood to have cooled their pursuit as they prioritise other positions.

Semenyo is not a one-season wonder. He produced 11 goals and six assists last year, a return that underlines his capacity to cause problems for Premier League defenders when at his best. Still, potential suitors must weigh concerns about the subsequent drop in his level during part of this season, an issue that has affected other Bournemouth players as well.

Ghana manager Otto Addo has signalled that Semenyo is ready for a step up. “He has done very well at Bournemouth, but with all the respect for Bournemouth and what they’re doing, surely it is natural for him to take the next step,” Ghana boss Addo told The Athletic.

“Whether its in the winter or summer, it is a difference question but it won’t make a difference for [Ghana]. I’m looking forward to him showing more of what he can to the world.”

Clubs chasing an extra source of goals and assists will see Semenyo as an attractive option heading into January. The release clause places a clear price on the move, but form fluctuations make the decision makers cautious. For now, Manchester City look best placed to make a concrete offer, Liverpool benefit from existing relationships at Bournemouth, and Manchester United appear to have stepped back from active competition.

Manchester City have opened internal discussions about whether to trigger Antoine Semenyo’s release clause when the January transfer window opens.

The clause is believed to be set at £65 million and will become active from January 1. Club sources say City are “not yet fully committed” to moving, but some at the club believe bringing Semenyo in would “give them the edge” in the chase of league leaders Arsenal. The clause must be triggered by a certain, undisclosed, date in January so that Bournemouth have time to source a suitable replacement, which would require an early decision.

City remain in the middle of a rebuild after last season’s unexpected collapse that ended their run of four consecutive Premier League titles. That summer spending spree continued with another £181 million on six additions, but results have been mixed; City have lost four of 13 league fixtures so far this campaign. Erling Haaland has scored more than half (14) of City’s Premier League goals (27) to date, and Guardiola acknowledged the issue: “The big teams score with many, many players. If it’s just Erling that scores the goals we will struggle,” Guardiola admitted in the wake of the weekend’s 3–2 win over Leeds United.

Semenyo has six Premier League goals and three assists so far in 2025–26. No City player other than Haaland has that many goals at this stage, and only Hugo Ekitiké (6) can match him from Liverpool, while Manchester United and Tottenham’s respective top league scorers, Bryan Mbeumo and Richarlison, only have five each.

City are not the only side linked to Semenyo; Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur have all been mentioned in recent weeks. The Liverpool angle is notable because Richard Hughes signed the Ghana international for Bournemouth in 2023, though Liverpool spent more than £400 million in the summer and may rule themselves out.

Bournemouth have made clear they will not block moves that represent a step up. “When a club like Real Madrid , Liverpool, PSG come in and they’re competing for Champions League positions, who are we to say, ‘No, you can‘t go, you can‘t fulfil your dream,’” Cherries general manager Tim Bezbatchenko said recently. Bournemouth paid Bristol City £10 million for Semenyo in January 2023, so a £65 million sale would represent roughly a £55 million profit in three years.

Tyler Adams produced one of the season’s most startling finishes when he scored from 47.4 yards in Bournemouth’s 3-2 loss to Sunderland. The USMNT midfielder struck in the 15th minute to register Bournemouth’s second goal of the first half with a long-range effort that began after the Cherries repelled a Sunderland corner.

A costly turnover allowed Adams to launch a counter, but instead of running the play, he took advantage of the situation at the edge of the centre circle. Spotting Sunderland goalkeeper Robin Roefs off his line, Adams “unleashed a perfectly weighted effort,” the shot flying over the goalkeeper and into the net. The distance was officially measured at 47.4 yards, making it the second-longest Premier League goal scored by a USMNT player.

That mark eclipsed Tottenham Hotspur’s Richarlison, who had struck from 38.6 yards in the north London derby just last weekend. Adams’ strike is also the longest range Premier League goal in over a year since Moisés Caicedo scored from 55.2 yards against Bournemouth.

The long-range landmark sits well short of the all-time American record. Former Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard remains the longest-scoring USMNT player in the English top flight, with a 100.8-yard effort on Jan. 4, 2012, against Bolton Wanderers at Goodison Park. That goal began as a clearance from inside his own penalty area that, aided by a wicked bounce and intense winds, sailed over Bolton’s Adam Bogdan.

Even the Premier League record exceeds Howard’s mark. Asmir Begović, then of Stoke City, recorded a 101-yard goal in 2013. Within those historical parameters, Adams can still claim the record for the longest goal by an outfield USMNT player, and his strike may stand as the longest scored this season.