Ghana and Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo has a £65m release clause in his contract that can only be activated during the first two weeks of the January 2026 transfer window.
The Ghana international was the subject of strong interest from Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur in the summer, but instead signed a new five-year deal on 1 July. His improved contract, however, includes a short activation window for potential bidders , a mechanism designed to give Bournemouth enough time to secure a replacement should the clause be triggered.
The winter transfer window opens on Thursday, 1 January 2026, and closes at 19:00 GMT on Monday, 2 February.
Semenyo has been one of the Premier League’s standout performers this season, registering six goals and three assists in 11 matches under manager Andoni Iraola. It follows a breakthrough campaign last season in which he scored 11 league goals and 13 across all competitions — the best return of his career.
Born in London, Semenyo represents Ghana through his father. He was rejected by Arsenal, Spurs, and Millwall at youth level before joining the football academy at SGS College in Bristol, run by former Leeds and Forest Green boss Dave Hockaday. Bristol City signed him in 2017, and after loan spells at Bath, Newport, and Sunderland, he broke into their first team in the 2020–21 season.
He secured a £10m move to Bournemouth in January 2023, steadily rising to become one of the club’s most influential players.
Bournemouth, who finished ninth last season, sold three key defenders, Illia Zabarnyi, Milos Kerkez, and Dean Huijsen for nearly £150m in the summer. They also could not complete the permanent signing of goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, who joined Arsenal instead. Keeping Semenyo has therefore been vital to their strong start to the campaign.
