Chelsea Football Club have entered the race to sign Bournemouth’s midfielder Antoine Semenyo ahead of the 2026 January transfer window.
Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool are the others, with Semenyo having a £65m release clause in his contract which becomes active on January 1. According to reports. his contract trigger will be opened only for ten days which ends on January 10, 2026 which is in the middle of the winter transfer window.
Tottenham Hotspur were interested in the Bournemouth forward over the summer and earlier this season, but are moving on to other targets and are out of the race. The 25-year-old has scored eight Premier League goals this season, including in Bournemouth’s last two games.
Semenyo’s immediate future could unfold in one of two main ways. If no club triggers his release clause in January, he is likely to remain at Bournemouth for the remainder of the 2025-26 season.
However, given the breadth of interest and the value of his release clause, a high-profile move to a bigger club particularly one competing for European football remains a realistic possibility.
This transfer would represent a major step in his career, offering him regular exposure at the highest competitive level and the chance to challenge for silverware but it would also leave a significant gap in Bournemouth’s lineup that they will need to address.