{"id":395293,"date":"2026-01-08T14:19:11","date_gmt":"2026-01-08T14:19:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/395293\/"},"modified":"2026-01-08T14:19:11","modified_gmt":"2026-01-08T14:19:11","slug":"andoni-iraola-makes-antoine-semenyo-prediction-after-liverpool-transfer-twist-claim","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/395293\/","title":{"rendered":"Andoni Iraola makes Antoine Semenyo prediction after Liverpool transfer &#8216;twist&#8217; claim"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Antoine Semenyo scored a 95th-minute winner for Bournemouth against Tottenham in his final appearance for the club before his expected move to Manchester City but there could be a twist<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1_GettyImages-2255129792.jpg\" alt=\"Andoni Iraola and Antoine Semenyo embrace after the Premier League match between Bournemouth and Tottenham Hotspur\" loading=\"eager\"  \/>Andoni Iraola and Antoine Semenyo embrace (Image: 2026 Getty Images)<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Andoni Iraola praised Antoine Semenyo as &#8220;a top player, but especially a top person&#8221; after he marked his final Bournemouth appearance with a stoppage-time winner against Tottenham. The Cherries boss is confident the Ghana winger will continue to flourish away from the club.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Iraola confirmed it is now &#8220;a matter of formalities&#8221; before Semenyo finalizes his \u00a365m move to the Etihad Stadium, <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.liverpool.com\/liverpool-fc-news\/transfer-news\/jamie-redknapp-antoine-semenyo-liverpool-33187820\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"\" rel=\"follow nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\">although Jamie Redknapp has suggested Liverpool is still in the race<\/a>. Despite this, Semenyo still netted in the 95th minute to secure Bournemouth&#8217;s first victory in 12 matches before being substituted to a rapturous reception.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">He then returned for an emotional lap of honour after the final whistle. <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.liverpool.com\/liverpool-fc-news\/transfer-news\/jamie-redknapp-antoine-semenyo-liverpool-33187820\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"\" rel=\"follow nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\">Semenyo is expected to undergo a medical on Thursday.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>READ MORE: <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.liverpool.com\/liverpool-fc-news\/features\/arne-slot-liverpool-center-back-33181507\" data-tmdatatrack=\"read-more\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"33181507\" data-tmdatatrack-source=\"editorial\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Arne Slot promises &#8216;unbelievable&#8217; center-back will play for Liverpool in 2026<\/a>READ MORE: <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.liverpool.com\/liverpool-fc-news\/features\/dominik-szoboszlai-mohamed-salah-liverpool-33183446\" data-tmdatatrack=\"read-more\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"33183446\" data-tmdatatrack-source=\"editorial\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Dominik Szoboszlai shares impact of Liverpool fallout on Mohamed Salah relationship<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Iraola said: &#8220;It&#8217;s not easy to do what he has done. Most players, a lot of players would have acted differently. He has never found excuses, he was ready to give whatever we needed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;We pushed a lot to keep him until the last second here and I think it is fair that he leaves with the feeling he has had at the end, with the sub, with the reception of the supporters.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;I think he has earned all this. I am very happy for him because we know he is a top player but especially a top person.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;I am very happy for him personally because I think he deserves, after all he has done for us, to finish like this. But it is true, he is a big miss for us, a player you cannot replace him. It has been a difficult week for us because we have also lost Justin (Kluivert) with an injury.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;To lose in the same week Justin and Antoine for a club like us is a big thing. I know the club is working and we will try to sign new players but it is very difficult to replace this level of player.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0_GettyImages-2255129415.jpg\" alt=\"Semenyo scored a late winner in a 3-2 victory against Tottenham on Wednesday.\" loading=\"lazy\"  \/>Semenyo scored a late winner in a 3-2 victory against Tottenham on Wednesday.(Image: 2026 Robin Jones &#8211; AFC Bournemouth)<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">When questioned about his prospects at City, the Basque added: &#8220;I think he is an incredible player &#8211; I don&#8217;t know how they will use him.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;I think he is a player that has been improving every single season with us but even before, because he has come through lower divisions, stepping up every single season and I think he is ready to do it again.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Speaking after the game, ex-Reds midfielder Redknapp suggested there could yet be a dramatic transfer twist.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;I\u2019m not saying this is a Sky Sports breaking news moment, but all I\u2019m saying is, I&#8217;ve heard tonight that it might not be the forgone conclusion that everyone\u2019s talking about that he&#8217;s going to be having a medical at Man City,&#8221; Redknapp said on Sky Sports. &#8220;There might still be a little twist.&#8221;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Antoine Semenyo scored a 95th-minute winner for Bournemouth against Tottenham in his final appearance for the club before&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":395294,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[69],"tags":[183280,1711,4568,403,99],"class_list":["post-395293","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-soccer","tag-afc-bournemouth","tag-liverpool-fc","tag-manchester-city-fc","tag-soccer","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/395293","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=395293"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/395293\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/395294"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=395293"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=395293"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=395293"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}