Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo has a £65m release clause that will be active only during the first two weeks of the January transfer window, BBC Sport understands.
The 25-year-old Ghana international drew significant interest from Manchester United, Tottenham and other Premier League clubs last summer, but ultimately signed a new five-year contract at the Vitality Stadium on 1 July. That deal, however, includes a time-limited release clause designed to give Bournemouth adequate opportunity to secure a replacement should a major offer arrive.
BBC Sport has learned that Semenyo’s contract allows any club to trigger the £65m clause exclusively during the opening 14 days of the 2026 winter transfer window. The Premier League and EFL window opens on Thursday, 1 January 2026, and closes at 19:00 GMT on Monday, 2 February, giving clubs a narrow window to activate the clause.
Semenyo has emerged as one of Bournemouth’s most influential players under Andoni Iraola.
His rapid development since joining Bournemouth has made him one of the Premier League’s standout wide forwards.
Born in London and eligible for Ghana through his father, Semenyo’s early career was shaped by setbacks. He was released by Arsenal, Tottenham and Millwall as a youth before joining the SGS College programme in Bristol, run by former Leeds and Forest Green manager Dave Hockaday.
He signed with Bristol City in 2017, but required loan spells at Bath, Newport County and Sunderland before establishing himself during the 2020–21 season. In January 2023, Bournemouth signed him for £10m — a move that has since proven highly successful.
Semenyo’s contributions were central to Bournemouth’s ninth-place finish last season. The club, however, underwent major defensive changes in the summer, selling Illia Zabarnyi, Milos Kerkez and Dean Huijsen for nearly £150m. They also opted not to convert goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga’s loan from Chelsea into a permanent deal, with the Spaniard later joining Arsenal.
Against that backdrop, retaining Semenyo has become crucial to Bournemouth’s competitiveness. The activation — or non-activation — of his January release clause could therefore shape the club’s mid-season trajectory.
