Chelsea have made a first enquiry about the possibility of signing Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo during the January transfer window.
The club had intended to wait until the summer to strengthen their attack but have now taken early steps to understand what a deal for the 25-year-old Ghana international would involve.
Semenyo has a release clause in his contract set at £65 million, which becomes active in January. This information was first reported by The Athletic last month. Any club willing to pay that fee by a specific deadline can sign the player, giving Bournemouth a short period to find a replacement.
The forward has attracted attention from several top clubs. Tottenham asked about him in the summer, and Manchester United have also shown interest. Liverpool have previously been noted as admirers of the player.
Semenyo has been in strong form this season, scoring eight goals and setting up three more in 16 Premier League games for Bournemouth.
Bournemouth are familiar with selling key players for significant fees. Last summer, they saw several important members of their squad depart, including Dominic Solanke, who joined Tottenham after a similar £65 million clause was met.
Semenyo joined Bournemouth from Bristol City in January 2023 and has since played 106 times, scoring 30 goals and providing 13 assists.
Chelsea did not sign a permanent forward in the last transfer window, though they brought in young attacker Facundo Buonanotte on loan from Brighton.
It remains to be seen if Chelsea will choose to activate Semenyo’s clause, but their initial contact signals a serious interest as the January window approaches.