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©TM/IMAGO
Bournemouth continue to defy the odds under Andoni Iraola. Despite losing three of their back four this summer, with Dean Huijsen, Ilya Zabarnyi and Milos Kerkez all leaving on big-money moves to Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool respectively, the Cherries are currently level on points with fifth in the Premier League after the opening 11 games. While Iraola deserves plenty of plaudits, a large reason why Bournemouth are riding so high is due to the form of star player Antoine Semenyo.
As illustrated in the graphic above, the Ghanian has been directly involved in 53% of Bournemouth’s goals this season, registering three assists, whilst scoring six goals himself. But the Cherries may struggle to hold on to him for much longer. This week it was revealed that Semenyo has a €74 million release clause in his contract that can be activated during the first two weeks of the January transfer window. He has attracted interest from several clubs including Manchester United and Tottenham, but the 25-year-old chose to sign a new five-year deal at the Vitality Stadium in July. He has a current market value of €55 million. So just how good have Semenyo’s numbers been for the Cherries? And what’s been his journey in football to date? Let’s find out.
Antoine Semenyo goal contributions since start of last season
If we look back to the start of last season, then only five players in the entire Premier League have provided more goal contributions (goals + assists) in the division than Semenyo. The Ghanian has clocked up 26 in just 48 games, which is more than the likes of Cole Palmer (25), Bruno Fernandes (24) and Bukayo Saka (20). Whilst Mohamed Salah (53) has been on another level, and Erling Haaland (40) and Alexander Isak (30) have been prolific, Bryan Mbeumo and Jarrod Bowen are the only player outside of a club that qualified for the Champions League last term to better Semenyo’s numbers in the English top-flight.
To be achieving this for a club outside of the top spots of top English football, albeit with a very astute manager, is an amazing feat for Semenyo. There was and remains plenty of interest from top Premier League clubs. If he continues his current form, it seems certain a club will activate his upcoming releae clause. It’s been a fast rise for Semenyo, but the Ghanian has taken an unorthodox route through the English football pyramid.
From Bath City to the Premier League – the rise of Antoine Semenyo
Born in London to a father who was a player himself in the Ghanian Premier League, and a mother with French citizenship, Semenyo came through the ranks at Championship club Bristol City. But it took some time to see just how high he would go in the game. In 2018, aged 18, he was sent on loan to fellow south-west team Bath City, who were in the sixth-tier of English football in the National League South. But he would make his Championship debut that same season upon his return, coming on in a 3-2 win at Sheffield United on the final day, becoming the 10th youngest player to represent Bristol City in the Championship. Semenyo was given his first market value of €500k in 2019.
Loan spells at Newport County and Sunderland followed but in the 2020/21 season, Semenyo asserted himself as a first-team regular in Bristol. In the following campaign, his numbers sky-rocketed as the Ghanian provided 20 goal contributions in 31 Championship games for the Robins. In 2022, Bournemouth gambled and paid €10.25 million to bring him to the Vitality Stadium. Even for a club with a recruitment model as successful as Bournemouth’s, that will surely go down as one of their greatest ever deals. His market value was only at €3m at the time. In the upcoming Premier League market value update, his value will likely usurp €50m. The Championship can be a very fruitful shopping ground, and in Semenyo, Bournemouth have unearthed a gem.