Newcastle United ‘eye’ £50m move for 0-goal ex-Sunderland winger as Liverpool ‘plot’ major move

Semenyo has enjoyed a very good start to the season at the Vitality Stadium, scoring four goals and registering one assist in the Premier League for Andoni Iraola’s side. The 24-year-old’s form has reportedly alerted a host of clubs with Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool among the clubs interested in him.

Semenyo’s journey to becoming one of the most sought-after wingers in the Premier League has been years in the making. Here, we take a look at Semenyo’s career path, why Newcastle United have already been shown his talents and what a club could expect should they get a deal for him over the line in January:

Who is Antoine Semenyo?

Semenyo came through the ranks at Bristol City and has had loan spells in non-league as well as lower down the EFL pyramid before breaking into the first-team at Ashton Gate during the 2021/22 season. Six goals during the first-half of the following season for the Robins was enough to convince the Cherries to part with over £10m to sign him in January 2023.

Semenyo’s failed Sunderland spell

Before making it at Bristol City, Semenyo spent four months at the Stadium of Light during the second half of the 2019/20 season. The Black Cats were in League One at the time and Semenyo was signed to help add firepower to get them promoted back into the Championship.

However, Semenyo managed just seven appearances and failed to register a single goal during his time at the Stadium of Light before moving back to Bristol. The League One season was cut-short due to the Covid-19 pandemic that season as Sunderland missed out on a play-off place on Points Per Game.

Semenyo’s St James’ Park stunner

Newcastle United were shown just what quality Semenyo possesses during their 2-2 draw with Bournemouth in February. That match saw Matt Ritchie score a late equaliser against his former side to rescue a point for the Magpies after goals from Dominic Solanke and Semenyo had put the Cherries 2-1 ahead.

Semenyo’s goal saw him drive at the Magpies defence before launching an unstoppable effort into the far corner past a despairing Dan Burn and Martin Dubravka. It was a brilliant goal and one that fans up and down the country would love to see their right-winger hit.

Transfer speculation latest

Strengthening at right-wing has been on the agenda at St James’ Park for a number of transfer windows, but other areas have taken priority. Their recent mini-resurgence involving either Joelinton or Anthony Gordon playing there aside, it still remains an area of the pitch that they should look to add to.

However, a reported £50m price tag may be too much for the club this summer and with reports that Liverpool, Spurs and now Arsenal have also taken a liking to the 24-year-old, there will be plenty of competition for Newcastle to overcome should they want to secure Semenyo’s signature. Bournemouth will also be very reluctant to see him leave midway through the season, meaning a deal in summer seems the most likely outcome.