Manchester City eye January move for Antoine Semenyo

According to Flashscore, City had been in a head-to-head battle with Manchester United to secure the signing of the wide attacker. Sources suggest that Semenyo and his representatives are increasingly leaning toward a move to the Etihad Stadium.

Reports have linked Liverpool with interest in hijacking the transfer, but as of Sunday night, no formal contact had been made with either Bournemouth or the player's camp. City remain confident that they are in pole position to complete the deal.

Discussions with Bournemouth are set to resume, though there are potential obstacles. The Cherries have a busy fixture schedule, recent form has dipped, and they do not yet have an immediate replacement lined up.

Sources indicate that Bournemouth would prefer not to sell Semenyo until after their Premier League clash with Tottenham on January 7.

Despite this, City are pushing for a move as soon as the transfer window opens, ideally before their January 4 match against Chelsea.

The club believes Semenyo can integrate quickly into Pep Guardiola's squad and wants to give him as much time as possible in January to settle into a new environment.

Semenyo's 65-millio-pound release clause is valid only until January 10, and City are already progressing in financial and personal terms with the player.

While Liverpool interest continues to make headlines, City hope that their early engagement will give them the advantage if a late challenge emerges from Anfield.

If completed, the transfer would add an exciting attacking option to City's roster, giving Guardiola more flexibility as the club looks to compete for both domestic and European honours in 2025.