As the January transfer window approaches, current headlines belong to the future of Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo (£7.7m).
Fantasy Premier League’s (FPL) second-highest scorer has 108 points, thanks to goals in three successive matches. But if rumours of an early January £65m release clause are true, he could soon become a problem for over six million owners.
Let’s see when, or even if, it would be best to sell the 25-year-old.
IS SEMENYO MOVING CLUBS?
Reputable sources say that Manchester City representatives hope to wrap up a Semenyo deal as soon as possible.
Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United are also believed to like the Ghanaian international.
Boasting 20 goals and 11 assists over the past season-and-a-half, Semenyo’s price seems very reasonable, so it’s hard to imagine none of the domestic giants making a move for such Premier League quality.
WILL SEMENYO MISS GAMEWEEK 19?
Bournemouth visit Chelsea on Tuesday, and it sounds like Andoni Iraola is keen to keep playing Semenyo. After all, the out-of-form Cherries have a mere four points from their last nine matches.
“No, the more games Antoine can play for us, if he can play years with us, much better! If he cannot be years, months, if he can play more weeks, weeks. The more time he plays with us, the better for us.” – Andoni Iraola, via the Bournemouth Echo
Semenyo also took centre stage on Bournemouth’s social media matchday graphic earlier on Tuesday. Although it is not definitive, it at least hints at his involvement at Stamford Bridge.
Still on four yellow cards, there’ll be no Gameweek 19 suspension either.
REASONS FOR KEEPING
Based on his latest three outings, Semenyo won’t be downing tools in the meantime.
Things had tailed off for him between late October and mid-December, but Gameweek 15’s reverse fixture against Chelsea brought a season high of five goal attempts.
Since that 0-0 stalemate, he’s had six shots on target, set up a trio of big chances for others, and netted three times.
Not only that, Semenyo scored, assisted and delivered 12 points in last season’s trip to Stamford Bridge. Albeit from 0.05 expected goal involvement (xGI)!
Keeping him for Gameweek 19 allows more time to assess the situation before Saturday’s match at Arsenal. And, should he depart, some FPL managers may want to keep him as a Man City asset.
REASONS FOR SELLING
Given that Semenyo will surely have one eye on his upcoming transfer, it may be wise to sell him before the Gameweek 19 deadline.
A trip to Chelsea is a tricky fixture, particularly given Bournemouth’s iffy form.
Combined with uncertainty over his playing time, this arguably makes Semenyo an easier sell.
Looking ahead, should he transfer to Man City, it remains to be seen whether the Ghanaian international immediately slots into Pep Guardiola’s starting XI, or requires some time to adjust.
Guardiola has kept the most settled side in the division over the last nine Gameweeks, using only 12 players in his starting XI.
Even if Semenyo does start for City in Gameweek 20, which looks a stretch, he will likely be eased in and will no longer be a guaranteed 90-minute man. He almost certainly won’t take penalties either, further blunting his Fantasy appeal.
REPLACING SEMENYO IN FPL
Here, we briefly discuss a few of the best candidates to replace Semenyo, with a focus on players in his price bracket, i.e. £8.5m and below.
MATHEUS CUNHA
Manchester United have been largely inconsistent this season, but Ruben Amorim’s side have managed to score 10 goals in their last four matches, underlining their offensive potential.
Not only has Matheus Cunha (£8.1m) registered at least eight more shots than any other player over that period (25), but he also has attacking returns in three of his last four matches.
In Bruno Fernandes’ (£9.1m) absence, the Brazilian may also be entrusted with penalties, and his short-term fixtures carry appeal, with Wolverhampton Wanderers, Leeds United and Burnley up next.
ANTHONY GORDON
Newcastle United have also struggled for consistency this season, and there is certainly room for improvement from an attacking perspective.
However, upcoming fixtures pit them against some of the division’s weakest defences.
Penalty-taker Anthony Gordon (£7.4m) consequently carries upside, even though his minutes aren’t fully secure. Even when he starts, he is often taken off around the 70-minute mark.
That said, Gordon has now started four league matches in a row, a period which has seen him deliver one goal and two assists.
FLORIAN WIRTZ/DOMINIK SZOBOSZLAI
Although it may not always be entirely convincing, Liverpool are unbeaten in six league matches.
The short-term fixture outlook is positive, too, barring an away trip to Arsenal in Gameweek 21.
After a sluggish start, Florian Wirtz (£8.2m) has now scored or assisted in three of his last five matches, during which time he’s been among the top five midfielders for chances created.
That uptick in form, combined with a favourable sequence of fixtures, could yield further returns for the German schemer.
Another option within the Liverpool squad is Dominik Szoboszlai (£6.6m).
Opting for a cheaper midfielder certainly carries appeal if it facilitates an upgrade to Gabriel Magalhaes (£6.3m) at the back.
Similar to Rice, Szoboszlai offers multiple routes to points, including potential penalties in the absence of Mohamed Salah (£14.0m), as well as corners, free-kicks, open-play threat (provided he doesn’t play at right-back) and DefCon potential.
MORGAN ROGERS
The in-form Morgan Rogers (£7.4m) is another option to consider.
Aston Villa have now won 11 consecutive matches across all competitions, which puts their attacking assets firmly on the radar.
An immediate trip to Arsenal is far from ideal; however, a much more appealing schedule follows thereafter.
Rogers has produced six goals and one assist in his last seven matches, a period which has seen him rack up 21 shots, the fourth-most of any midfielder.
Another important factor to consider is the fact that he is nailed-on to start, almost always playing 90 minutes.
RAYAN CHERKI
Rayan Cherki (£6.7m) extended his fine run of form on Saturday, amassing 13 points at the City Ground.
The Frenchman has now produced nine attacking returns (one goal, eight assists) since the start of November, the joint-most of any player except Erling Haaland (£15.2m).
He also leads the way in the Premier League for minutes per chance created (25).
There is always a chance of rotation when it comes to Man City players, particularly with Jeremy Doku (£6.5m) on his way back from injury, plus the likely arrival of Semenyo, but Cherki might be a risk worth taking.
From an attack perspective, City sit fifth on our Fixture Ticker over the next five Gameweeks.
