While Antoine Semenyo may have only arrived at Bournemouth three years ago in a £10million transfer from Bristol City, the Ghanaian international has only continued to shine since joining England’s elite.
The 26-year-old enjoyed a remarkable start to the 2025/26 season with Vitality and had a string of Premier League heavyweights chasing his signature during the January transfer window.
Semenyo has set the Etihad on fire since completing a successful £65 million move. Semenyo is enjoying life under Pep Guardiola and has immediately made a stunning impact in the blue half of Manchester.
The 32-cap international put Man City’s Premier League title dreams back in the spotlight as he bagged the winner in Leeds on Saturday evening.
With record-breaking Erling Haaland missing from Elland Road due to a reported knee problem, Semenyo will have more than a leadership role to play if City are to stage a dramatic comeback and regain the national crown at the first attempt.
Semenyo’s sensational start in Manchester
While Haaland may have merely continued to break a string of records ahead of the opening of the new year, Guardiola had made it abundantly clear that he was once again looking for some attacking reinforcements in the January transfer window.
Although they may have faced stiff competition from the likes of Chelsea and local rivals Man United, the Sky Blues officially announced Semenyo’s arrival on January 9 when they agreed a blockbuster £65million deal with Bournemouth.
With the Ghana international making it clear that a move to the blue half of Manchester was his only priority, Semenyo couldn’t have imagined a better start to life at the Etihad.
The ex-Bristol City youngster has already cemented his position as January’s best player and has only extended his sudden rise to superstardom.
By bagging the winner at Elland Road on Saturday night and keeping City’s title dreams alive once again, Semenyo has already paid back a good chunk of his high January price tag.
Having started his Etihad spell with a goal on debut during City’s record-breaking 10-1 FA Cup win against League One team Exeter City less than 24 hours after arriving from Bournemouth, the 26-year-old has already underlined his place as a vital part of Guardiola’s squad.
Guardiola has already scored eight direct goals (six goals, two assists) in his first 11 games for the Premier League title chasers and was unsurprisingly full of praise for his latest attacking superstar.
Antoine Semenyo continues to take care of Man City 💪 pic.twitter.com/LBasISyTl8
— B/R Football (@brfootball) February 28, 2026
Filling Haaland’s void
While Semenyo may have had a sensational start at the Etihad, the pressure on his shoulders could quickly increase in the coming weeks.
While City’s red-hot January recruit may have made a good start, their striking poster boy is struggling with a recent knee injury and Guardiola’s side are nervously awaiting a full update on Haaland’s fitness.
Missing Elland Road and watching from home as Semenyo secured a hard-fought winner in Yorkshire, concerns are growing that the Norwegian icon could miss a stacked and season-defining few weeks.
With 22 goals in his 27 Premier League appearances this season and still firmly in pole position to once again claim the Golden Boot, the former Borussia Dortmund star has broken another string of records this season.
Now back to his clinical peak prior to his knee problem after a quiet start to 2026, Semenyo will be the first to hope his new strike partner can return soon.
Faced with a quick turnaround when they return to the Etihad on Wednesday evening when they welcome Nottingham Forest to Manchester, Haaland faces a real race against time.
🚨 Pep Guardiola: “I don’t know when Erling Haaland will come back.”
“It’s not a major injury, but he wasn’t ready to play against Leeds yet.” pic.twitter.com/NNZV4yZGyw
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) March 1, 2026
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