Slot Sets Sights on Semenyo: Liverpool’s Bold Move for Salah’s Heir
Arne Slot isn’t tiptoeing around the post-Salah question—he’s marching straight at it. Liverpool’s head coach wants Antoine Semenyo, and he wants him now. As reported by The Guardian, the Bournemouth forward has Liverpool down as his preferred landing spot in January, even with Manchester City and Manchester United both holding talks this week. There’s a number on it too: a £65m release clause that makes this one a clear-cut bidding race rather than cloak-and-dagger haggling.
Slot’s plan: pace, pressing, and a direct threat
Slot’s blueprint is transparent: replace Salah’s end product and menace with a wide forward who can run in behind, press like a demon, and finish on the move. Semenyo ticks those boxes. He’s not a carbon copy of Salah—few are—but his explosiveness and ability to attack space suit Slot’s aggressive shape. Per the same report, the 25-year-old, contracted until 2030, wants Anfield, and that’s half the battle won.
Form to back the hype
Semenyo has been one of the Premier League’s standout forwards this season—seven goals and three assists in 15 appearances, placing him joint-third in the scoring charts behind Erling Haaland and Igor Thiago, and joint-10th for assists. He scored in Bournemouth’s riotous 4-4 at Manchester United on Monday, a game that extended the Cherries’ winless league run to seven. Andoni Iraola’s side host Burnley on Saturday, while Liverpool head to Tottenham hunting back-to-back wins after a composed 2-0 over Brighton last weekend. No surprise some have even called him “world-class” in recent coverage.
Transfer race: City, United… and Spurs on the fringes
City and United have both made their interest known with direct conversations this week, but The Guardian say Semenyo has a soft spot for Anfield. Tottenham are in the frame too, though their chances are described as slim given their stuttering start under Thomas Frank. The clincher could be simple: with a release clause ready to be triggered, the quickest decisive move wins.
What it means for Liverpool’s front line
If Semenyo lands on Merseyside, it would add to Liverpool’s recent run of headline attacking recruits, including Alexander Isak, Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz. That sort of depth forces decisions. One name to watch is Federico Chiesa, who’s logged just 390 minutes this season—11 appearances, all off the bench—and may be the one to make way if the dominoes start falling.
Konate’s contract call still looming
At the back, Ibrahima Konate has a call to make. With his deal expiring at season’s end, Liverpool have an offer on the table, but the Frenchman can speak to overseas clubs and line up a pre-contract from January. Keep an eye on that: losing a first-choice defender for nothing would sting in a season this finely poised.
Why Semenyo fits Slotball
Style-wise, this transfer makes plenty of sense. Semenyo’s first step is electric, he bulldozes through contact, presses with purpose, and carries a threat in transition that defenders hate. Is he Salah’s left-footed sorcerer replica? No. But as a modern wide forward who can destabilise blocks and finish, he looks a tidy fit for Slot’s system—and at 25, there’s room to grow.
The bottom line
January will be a sprint, not a marathon. Liverpool have the manager’s conviction, the player’s apparent preference, and a price point that removes most of the grey areas. If they move quickly, this could be the first big punch of the window. For those tracking the market angles and odds, the usual suspects among the best betting sites will be alive to any movement the moment a bid lands. The sense is clear: Semenyo to Liverpool has momentum—and in January, momentum often decides the race.
