The Antoine Semenyo saga takes a shocking turn as the club makes a transfer U-turn

The London-born Ghanaian international is said to have a £65million release clause in his deal, which is understood to be active during the first two weeks of the January window, according to BBC Sport.

Speaking to NBC Sports last week, The Athletic’s David Ornstein revealed that the player had already turned down a chance to join Spurs, even though the club was “willing to pay a significant salary”, with both Manchester City and Manchester United also keen.

Ornstein further indicated that the situation “could be resolved sooner rather than later”, with Bournemouth likely to have to find a replacement if the 25-year-old leaves.

On Tuesday (December 23), Sky Sports claimed that Chelsea had joined the pursuit of Semenyo, stating that the club had “initiated an investigation” into a possible move.

Journalist Ben Jacobs added that despite previous attempts to play down their involvement, the London team have in fact taken an initial approach, marking a clear turnaround ahead of a potential deal in January.

Jacobs wrote: “Chelsea have always played down Antoine Semenyo’s participation in the race, but said that in recent days they have actually considered an approach. An initial investigation has been made into Semenyo’s representatives.

“Manchester clubs are seen as frontrunners. Liverpool will assess after contact in November.”

Ornstein later released another update via The Athletic, explaining that Chelsea – who had initially targeted a move in the summer of 2026 – “have contacted Semenyo’s camp regarding the terms of a deal, with a view to potentially accelerating their plans to January”.

Should Semenyo remain at Bournemouth during the winter window, his valuation is expected to drop once the summer window opens after the 2025/2026 season.

The forward joined the Cherries from Bristol City in 2023 for £10million and is under contract on the south coast until 2030.

Bristol City would be entitled to 20 percent of any profits from a future sale, which would amount to £13 million if Semenyo were sold for £65 million.

If the 25-year-old were to move to Chelsea, he would compete with Alejandro Garnacho for a place in Enzo Maresca’s starting XI.