Manchester United are generally not heavy-movers in the January window, but after signing Patrick Dorgu last January, Antoine Semenyo could be next.
Ruben Amorim’s admiration for Antoine Semenyo is an open secret, with the manager calling him “special” ahead of Bournemouth’s visit to Old Trafford.
Semenyo scored in that thrilling 4-4 draw, doing his stock no harm in Man Utd’s eyes, but his release clause, worth £65m, and a difficult tactical fit worked against him.
Should Man Utd pay Antoine Semenyo’s £65m release clause in January?
But Amorim has now opened the door for a potential Semenyo approach with some interesting cryptic comments.
Ruben Amorim’s hint at Man Utd’s move for Antoine Semenyo
While Semenyo’s quality is not under any doubt, his move to Man Utd is a little complicated for a couple of reasons.
Firstly, his release clause, which is less than what he’s actually worth, is still too much for a club in United’s financial health, especially in January.
Secondly, and more importantly, the wisdom of spending £65m on Semenyo when there is a gaping hole in midfield will be questioned.
However, Ruben Amorim, in a recent press conference, has opened the door for Semenyo’s January signing by steering the conversation away from the positional need and reorienting it towards long-term squad building.
WHAT would be your dream January transfer window for Manchester United?💰🔥
He said: “The only thing that we know is that we would only try to bring players that we think are going to be the future. It’s not going to be to save something in this moment to cope with the losses of three players for AFCON.
“Even if we try to bring one player, maybe it’s not in the position that we need more. We will try to bring in players between now and the end of the season who are perfect for our future. I don’t know what is going to happen, but it’s possible that we can do something.”
Man Utd will be active in January
Amorim’s comment about the club doing something in January, but maybe “not in the position we need more” clearly hints at a position other than midfield being reinforced.
Ineos have made it a point to stop chasing short-term fixes with loan moves, and it’s clear that the long-term targets for midfield won’t be available in January.
Therefore, the focus shifts to players who can be the future of the club, but not necessarily a need right now, which is where Semenyo comes into the picture.
Semenyo is an opportunity in January that rarely comes around, since that release clause will expire after ten days in January.
Much like Matheus Cunha, where United triggered the release clause, they look likely to do the same for Semenyo, regardless of how he immediately fits in.
If the vision is long-term, then getting ahead of a summer move by taking advantage of an opportunity in January is the right thing to do.
Semenyo now, plus a midfielder or two in the summer would make United much improved, and for that to happen, they need to be proactive in January for the Bournemouth player.
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