Former England striker Darren Bent has urged Liverpool to make a sensational January move for Bournemouth's in-form forward Antoine Semenyo, who has a £65million release clause in his contract.
Bournemouth's Star Attractor
The Ghana international has been in electrifying form this season, playing an instrumental role in Bournemouth's early-season success with six goals and three assists in his first eleven appearances. His contributions helped propel the Cherries as high as second in the Premier League table last month, though the team has since suffered successive defeats before the international break.
Bournemouth managed to retain Semenyo during the summer window despite seeing defensive trio Dean Huijsen, Illia Zabarnyi and Milos Kerkez secure big-money moves away from the Vitality Stadium. Manager Andoni Iraola has received widespread praise for coping with those departures, but faces a fresh battle to keep hold of his star attacker.
The £65 Million Clause
Speculation over Semenyo's future has intensified this week amid reports of a £65million release clause in the 25-year-old's contract that can be activated during the first two weeks of the January transfer window. It's understood that Manchester United, Liverpool and Tottenham have all been alerted to the potential availability of the forward.
Bent, speaking on talkSPORT, expressed no surprise at the elite interest, lavishing praise on the Bournemouth man's development. "He has exploded out of the traps this season and he just looks really comfortable in himself," Bent said. "Every game you see him do something and you go, 'Oh my goodness'... he's one of those rare players and I call players like this unstoppable."
The Perfect Liverpool Fit?
Bent drew comparisons between Semenyo's powerful, direct style and former Tottenham and Real Madrid star Gareth Bale. "When Bale started to move, you just couldn't stop him and Semenyo is the same. Once he gets going, he's going past people and he's gliding," he explained. "What's good about him is that he can go both ways. I think he's got the full package."
The pundit also likened the Bournemouth attacker to Manchester City winger Jeremy Doku, suggesting Semenyo could see himself as capable of displacing the Belgian international. More significantly, Bent believes Semenyo's versatility across the frontline would be particularly valuable to Liverpool as Mohamed Salah shows early signs of "slowing down a fraction."
"For so long now, Liverpool have been able to depend on Salah on that right-hand side, season upon season," Bent noted. "But the signs are that he potentially maybe is slowing down a fraction. Now, all of a sudden, you have to start addressing both sides."
With Bournemouth preparing to host West Ham this weekend, all eyes will be on their prized asset as the January window approaches.
