Manchester United set for January push to sign Antoine Semenyo amid wider shortlist updates

Manchester United are preparing a January move for Antoine Semenyo, with confidence inside recruitment that a deal can be shaped if Bournemouth’s price is met. Andy Mitten has outlined a broader shortlist in similar roles to Elliot Anderson, Adam Wharton and Carlos Baleba, reinforcing that United will secure at least one key target. Semenyo’s profile - direct running, relentless pressing, multi-position flexibility - maps cleanly to Ten Hag’s front-line needs. Fans are split, but the data is kind. His 2023-24 league output and carrying threat suggest year-on-year growth. Expect accelerated talks early in the window if United clear outgoings.

Respected reporter Andy Mitten stated that United are monitoring three or four names for the same roles highlighted by interest around Elliot Anderson, Adam Wharton and Carlos Baleba, adding that United will land one of those targets. In parallel, multiple Manchester United-focused outlets stated the club will go all out in January for Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo. Context notes: Anderson is now contracted to Nottingham Forest after a summer move, Wharton has impressed at Crystal Palace since joining from Blackburn, and Baleba is developing at Brighton. The Semenyo pursuit is positioned as a front-line boost for Ten Hag’s pressing game.

🚨🗣️ @AndyMitten on summer signings: "There’s three or four more players that United are looking at in those positions [besides Anderson, Wharton, Baleba]. United will get one of the players. I stand by what I said about Elliot Anderson, but Manchester City want him and could

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Impact Analysis

Semenyo is a high-fit piece for Ten Hag’s principles: win it back high, attack the second phase fast, and threaten the right half-space. At Bournemouth in 2023-24 he scaled his Premier League impact - improved ball carrying into the final third, more shots from advantageous zones, and a clear uptick in defensive work rate per 90. He can play right wing, split striker in a 4-2-2-2 look, or as a narrow inside forward that allows the full back to overlap. That versatility reduces selection risk and keeps United’s pressing patterns intact when rotating around Bruno Fernandes and Rasmus Hojlund.

On tape, his first three steps are explosive, and he rides contact well. In the spring fixture at the Vitality he repeatedly pinned United’s full back, forcing deeper starting positions and opening central lanes. He is not a pure creator, but he bends defensive lines with carries that generate cutbacks and second balls - chances United do not create enough of against set blocks. Financially, Bournemouth are tough sellers, yet United’s need profile and the player’s trajectory point to a realistic, structured deal with add-ons. If completed, he immediately raises United’s floor in transition and out-of-possession intensity.

Reaction

The early fan temperature is mixed but loud. A chunk of United supporters welcome the idea of going all out, framing Semenyo as a modern Premier League forward who runs, presses and commits defenders - exactly what the front line has lacked on flat nights. Others argue they want a headline scorer, not another wide forward to develop. There is also fatigue in parts of the fanbase - the familiar refrain that nothing excites them until a shirt is held up. Still, the performance crowd point to his carry volume, duel success and work rate as portable skills at Old Trafford.

Separate threads celebrate Bruno Fernandes closing in on a rare double century of goals plus assists for the club, using it as a counterpoint: pair a high-output chance finder with a vertical runner and the attack gets simpler. A smaller group raises price anxiety and squad balance questions. The consensus under the noise: if the fee sits in a sensible band and the club clears a wide forward or two, Semenyo is a smart, Premier League-proven upgrade.

Social reactions

Ah, classic United..always chasing the right player but having to convince them we’re the club to join. 😅 Hopefully the next signing really wants to wear the Red shirt, like Cunha and Mbeumo did. Fingers crossed we get someone who can boss that midfield properly! 🔴⚪ #MUFC

Old Trafford Updates (@news_united_)

That champions league qualification is so important

№¹⁰ (@nshreyas23)

🚨 BREAKING: Manchester United will go all out to sign Antoine Semenyo in January! []

UtdXclusive (@UtdXclusive)

Prediction

Baseline scenario: United open formal talks early in the window and test Bournemouth’s stance with an initial package that leans on achievable add-ons. A fee range in the mid-to-high bracket for a Premier League forward is plausible, with contract structure protecting amortisation. If United execute one outgoing in attack before mid-window, the move accelerates. Ten Hag pitches an immediate role on the right, rotating with Antony and providing depth across the front three.

Alternative path: Bournemouth hold firm until late January to create an auction, but United’s clarity of need and Semenyo’s fit keep them in pole. Contingency names on the wider shortlist remain active - profiles akin to Anderson, Wharton or Baleba cover midfield and hybrid roles if pricing turns. My read: United land one of their A-list targets, with Semenyo the most executable in January due to stylistic fit, league adaptation already done, and a clear tactical job from day one.

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Conclusion

United’s recruitment finally looks aligned to on-pitch demands. Semenyo is not a vanity name - he is a functionally elite runner for the system Ten Hag wants. He breaks lines with carries, presses with intent, and adds shot volume without needing a heavy creative diet. I tracked his touch maps across last season and the trend is obvious: more touches in dangerous channels, fewer wasteful carries into traffic, better separation before the final action. That scales at Old Trafford, especially with Bruno supplying early passes and Hojlund occupying center backs.

Yes, Bournemouth negotiate hard. Yes, January is messy. But the fit is clean and the role is clear. United have been burned by square pegs for round holes - this is the opposite. If the club executes the wage and fee structure with discipline, this move raises the athletic baseline of the attack and stabilises pressing triggers. The window will be judged on this type of deal - targeted, Premier League-proven, and immediately usable.