Bournemouth may be unable to stop Ghana forward Antoine Semenyo’s January exit due to release clause

Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo has a £65m release clause that could trigger a January transfer, placing the club under pressure as interest intensifies, The Athletic has reported.

The Ghanaian forward, who signed a new long-term contract in July, has enjoyed an excellent campaign and remains central to Andoni Iraola’s impressive side.

Semenyo’s strong form has drawn renewed attention from top Premier League clubs after he reached six goals and three assists while helping Bournemouth climb into the top half of the table this season.

Bournemouth were determined to keep him last summer after approaches from Manchester United and Tottenham, but they agreed to include a release clause in his fresh deal.

That mechanism is now active for the winter window, with a fixed £65m fee available to any club that meets the terms before a specified deadline. The date is designed to give Bournemouth a short period to sign a replacement should the clause be triggered.

Liverpool, Manchester City and Spurs are among the sides recently linked, and the clause will reportedly drop even lower when the summer window opens if Semenyo remains on the south coast until the end of the season.

Although losing the 25-year-old would be a huge setback, Bournemouth have a history of rebuilding quickly after major departures.

Dean Huijsen left for Real Madrid in May when the Spanish club activated a £50m clause, while Dominic Solanke previously joined Tottenham after the north London side met a £65m option.

The club also parted with Milos Kerkez, Illia Zabarnyi and Dango Ouattara in recent windows without slipping backwards.

Those exits underline Bournemouth’s strategy of preparing extensively for possible departures and maintaining a constant scouting and recruitment pipeline.

The same process is already underway as the club formulates contingency plans in every position, recognising that Semenyo’s release clause leaves them exposed when the window opens next month.

Bournemouth would prefer to retain him for the full campaign, yet they accept that the decision may be out of their hands if a major club commits to the £65m fee.