Antoine Semenyo chase hots up but will Manchester City bite?

The 2025/26 Premier League campaign looked like it may be a mixed one again for Manchester City and Pep Guardiola, particularly given changes made to the squad and the mini re-build undertaken.

But as we close in on Christmas and the New Year, Manchester City are in second spot and have closed the gap to Arsenal in top spot to just two points.

That is not to say further improvements cannot be made in the performance levels of players. The side can get tighter in defence for a start, and undoubtedly Guardiola will be working hard on that in the coming weeks.

In amongst the potential title talk and Guardiola’s own future at the club again hitting headlines after a very simple and sensible comment from the gaffer, it is almost time to turn eyes to the January transfer window and what many believe will be subtle tweaks to the squad.

Naturally, for fans who like a flutter with the likes of 1xBet Sports Betting and are looking at transfer odds, most in the City fanbase would expect that the bulk of any deals that are completed next month would be departures as the squad is further trimmed down.

It may be a case of clearing out some of the deadwood and getting some money back in so the true second stage rebuild can take place over the summer as the team continue to look to the future, and success, once again.

One potential incoming that will not go away right now though concerns Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo. The 25-year-old, 32-capped Ghanaian international attacker has impressed in the Premier League having joined the Cherries from Bristol City in 2023.

And the 2025/26 season has been his best yet so far; 16 games returning eight goals and three assists and with talk of a transfer request and a temporary release fee of around £65 million, he has naturally been linked with Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United.

It is believed that the release fee drops to £60 million come the end of the current campaign, so a lot of the rumour mill speculation has centred on whether clubs may attempt to steal a march on his services by making a move early on in the New Year, or whether they would show a little bit of patience and wait for his valuation to drop over the summer.

It is quite clear his stock is on the rise and he has received plenty of plaudits for performances already. The recent injury to Alexander Isak could see Liverpool break rank as Arne Slot continues to battle to turn their disappointing campaign around, while there is obviously the Mo Salah issue to contend with given Semenyo is a wide attacker who enjoys cutting inside.

Where this leaves City for a January move is still open to debate though. Pep Guardiola does not have a pressing need for another attacker right now, but by the same token, Semenyo ticks many of the boxes that would attract the club to him.

And so, any move may well depend on a departure first by one of those attackers who finds themselves on the fringes of the squad, or continues to fail to impress when given a run out.