Bournemouth’s Andoni Illara insists he wants to keep Antoine Semenho for as long as possible despite a move to Manchester City appearing imminent.
Behind the scenes, momentum continues to build around a move to the Etihad Stadium in January, with Manchester City accelerating discussions as they look to add a goalscoring striker to Guardiola’s side.
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As previously reported, City officials are in active talks with Semenho’s representatives and Bournemouth in an attempt to reach a deal quickly. The 25-year-old has emerged as one of Manchester City’s main targets amid concerns over a lack of consistent output across wide areas, with Guardiola a key driver in the pursuit.
Reports last week suggested that Antoine Semenho himself is open to a move and is keen for clarification at the start of the January window. From a Bournemouth perspective, however, the situation remains delicate.
The Cherries are preparing for the possibility that Semenho’s release clause will be triggered, but they still want to keep one of their most influential players for as long as possible, especially with crucial games yet to come.
Speaking to reporters following Bournemouth’s recent 4-1 defeat to Brentford in the Premier League, Andoni Illaura spoke about Antoine Semenho’s future and insisted he wants to keep the Ghana forward for longer.
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“If he can play for us for a few years, that’s even better! If not a few years, then a few months. If he can only play a few weeks, then it’s a few weeks, but the more time he plays with us, the better it is for us,” explained Iraura.
The South Coast club’s head coach continued: “The situation with Antoine is very clear. Antoine is an important player for us and even in games like today where he may not have performed well, he is always a threat to score points and assists.”
“Obviously I don’t want to lose him. That’s clear, but there are circumstances that are out of my control. He will be able to play again in three days [versus Chelsea] Then the next game, I hope he can play more games with us. “
These comments fit well with recent reports that Bournemouth ideally want Semenho available for upcoming games before the window for his £65m release clause closes, despite Manchester City’s growing interest.
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Previous updates highlighted that the decision from Semenho’s side was not driven by financial reasons but centered around the sporting opportunities offered by Guardiola and the chance to compete for major honours.
As things stand, City are trying to seal a deal during Monday’s talks and they are clearly leaning towards finalizing the deal in preparation for the January transfer window.
While Bournemouth may benefit from Semenho’s availability in the short term, all signs point to control of the situation gradually shifting away from the south coast club.
