Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola has confirmed that Antoine Semenyo will not leave the club, despite speculation about a transfer to Manchester City.
Negotiations between Bournemouth and City are reportedly progressing as City aims to trigger Semenyo’s £65 million release clause during the January transfer window.
Additionally, City is nearing an agreement on personal terms with Semenyo, who has scored nine goals and provided three assists in the Premier League this season.
The 25-year-old appeared to be saying goodbye to Bournemouth supporters after helping the team secure a 2-2 draw against Chelsea on Tuesday night.
However, Iraola emphasized that Semenyo “will still be with us,” hinting that the transfer is unlikely to happen next month.
Antoine Semenyo has not played ‘last game’ for Bournemouth
“He is an important player for us and he will still be with us. This is not his last game for us,” Iraola told BBC Match of the Day.
Semenyo’s long throw-ins caused problems for Chelsea’s defense and contributed significantly to Bournemouth’s goals in the match.
David Brooks scored the opening goal for Bournemouth, but this was equalized by a penalty from Cole Palmer after Semenyo fouled Estevao Willian.
Enzo Fernandez then put Chelsea ahead, but Bournemouth responded quickly with a goal from Justin Kluivert.
Bournemouth gained a valuable point from this match, ending their winless streak in the league since late October. However, Iraola feels his team deserved a better result.
“We often find ourselves in this situation,” he said. “We had a strong performance and created several clear chances in the first half. It was disappointing to go into halftime at 2-2.”
“We had the better opportunities. This wasn’t just a point earned; it was a reflection of our performance at Stamford Bridge.”
“We faced key moments that didn’t go our way. I’m proud of the players’ efforts; everyone fought hard. We need to maintain this level of performance and work on preventing goals conceded.”
See Also – The longest winless runs in Premier League history
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