Antoine Semenyo reveals Pep Guardiola’s promise that sealed £65m Manchester City move

Ghana international Antoine Semenyo has revealed the key factors behind his decision to join Manchester City, saying manager Pep Guardiola’s vision for his development convinced him to make the move despite interest from several Premier League heavyweights.

The Black Stars forward completed a £65 million switch from Bournemouth to the Premier League champions during the January transfer window, with City beating off competition from Manchester United, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea to secure his signature.

Speaking about the transfer, Semenyo disclosed that discussions over a potential move began in early December before he ultimately decided in January that Manchester City was the right destination for the next stage of his career.

The 26-year-old also paid tribute to Bournemouth for the role the club played in his rise to the top level of English football.

“I owe them everything, to be honest,” Semenyo said. “They helped my Premier League career flourish and obviously the management, the staff behind the scenes, they were all amazing. They made everything so smooth.”

Semenyo enjoyed the best season of his career before making the move, scoring 21 goals for club and country. He also played a decisive role in City’s successful campaign after finding the net in the FA Cup final victory over Chelsea, describing the moment as “a dream come true,” while also helping the club lift the Carabao Cup.

The Ghanaian attacker explained that Guardiola’s personal assurance was instrumental in his decision to join the Etihad Stadium outfit.

“I think for me, I just wanted the next step to be the big one and Manchester City was the option,” Semenyo said.

“Pep spoke to me beforehand and he said, ‘Look, when you come, I am going to make you a better player.'”

According to Semenyo, the opportunity to continue improving under one of football’s most successful managers made the decision straightforward.

“You want to get better, you want to improve every season and he definitely helped me with that in the first five months, but obviously sad for him to leave,” he added.

Semenyo won two domestic trophies last season under Pep Guardiola. Under Enzo Maresca as the new head coach, Semenyo hit the ground running by grabbing an assist in Manchester City’s pre-season loss against Inter Milan on Saturday in Hong Kong.