Semenyo, the first major signing of 2026! Could he become the winter transfer window's top deal?

Written by Han Bing On the evening of December 30th, after Bournemouth drew with Chelsea away, Semenyo waved goodbye to the Bournemouth fans who traveled to support the team, and several teammates embraced him one after another. Everyone knew that Semenyo's journey at Bournemouth was entering its final countdown.

With three days of negotiations between Manchester City and Bournemouth this week, Semenyo's transfer deal has entered its final stage and could be announced at any moment. This will be the first major heavyweight deal of the 2026 winter transfer window.

On December 29th and 30th, Manchester City held comprehensive talks with Bournemouth. The Blues aimed to complete the deal as soon as the transfer window opened on January 1st, bringing Guardiola a new weapon for the title race. City is directly paying the "release clause" valid during the player's contract, which Bournemouth neither can nor intends to block. Semenyo has reached a personal agreement with City, which explains his statement to fans after the Chelsea match. By December 31st, during the third round of talks between Manchester City and Bournemouth, the clubs had also reached a principle agreement. By that day, only minor details remained, mainly related to agent matters.

Semenyo's transfer has not been finalized immediately, partly due to agent-related details and possibly influenced by coach Ilaura. In the match against Chelsea, Semenyo contributed two goals for the Cherries through two long-distance throw-ins. After the game, Ilaura emphasized that this was not Semenyo's final match at Bournemouth and expressed hope that Semenyo could contribute more in the upcoming Saturday home game against Arsenal. However, even if Ilaura has some influence, he can only keep Semenyo until the weekend at most; the overall transfer is already decided.

The total transfer fee for Semenyo is £65 million, which Manchester City will pay in three installments, including variable clauses and agent commissions. City signed Semenyo for three years; the Ghanaian winger’s weekly wage is £150,000, double what he earned at Bournemouth, yet only ranking 13th in City's star-studded squad. Haaland leads with £525,000 per week; the second tier includes Bernardo Silva (£300,000), Malmo's player (£295,000), and Stones, Donnarumma, Ruben Dias each earning £250,000 weekly; the third tier features Reinders (£230,000), Foden (£225,000), Rodri (£220,000), and Gvardiol (£200,000). Semenyo shares a tier with Phillips and Kovacic but still earns less than Silky (£180,000) and Aké (£160,000).

Securing Semenyo’s deal early is very advantageous for Bournemouth. The Cherries have a month to find a replacement since the team currently has only 22 points, nine points above the relegation zone. Bournemouth plans to use part of this large sum to sign a substitute for the Ghanaian winger. Their first choice might be Tottenham’s Brennan Johnson, though he is more likely to join Crystal Palace for around £35 million. Additionally, Philogene (Ipswich), Fatau (Leicester City), and Nwaneri (Arsenal) are also on the shortlist.

With Semenyo joining, Manchester City will also offload surplus players. The 22-year-old winger Bob will leave, and Dutch defender Aké, whose contract expires in summer, is also part of the winter squad trimming plan. Bob is likely to join Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund on loan, with a €30 million buyout clause. Barcelona shows strong interest in Aké, but the success of both deals depends on the timing of Semenyo’s transfer completion. Guardiola hopes Semenyo’s arrival will significantly reduce the team’s overreliance on Haaland for goals, helping to mount a strong challenge for the championship in the latter half of the season.

Manchester City has a tradition of strengthening their squad during the winter window. After the Abu Dhabi royal family takeover in summer 2008, they signed stars like De Jong, Bellamy, Bridge, and goalkeeper Given early in 2009. Later additions included Vieira (2010), Džeko (2011), and Bony (2015). Since Guardiola’s arrival in summer 2016, City has consistently made winter signings such as Jesus (2017) and Laporte (2018). Alvarez (2022) and Echeverri (2024) also joined during winter windows. Especially last year, facing a critical situation, they splurged £243 million in the winter window to bring in Malmo, Nico Gonzalez, Husanov, and Hayes.

This time, the £65 million Semenyo deal will not only be the biggest transfer in European football at the start of the new year but may also become the top signing of this winter window. After all, other major clubs have yet to confirm any signing intentions. Semenyo, having established himself as a top Premier League winger this season, will become Guardiola’s new ace for the championship push.