Joe Cole has urged Chelsea to beat Manchester United and Liverpool to the signing of Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo.
The 25-year-old has been in sublime form for Bournemouth this season with six goals and three assists in 11 Premier League appearances so far.
In the summer transfer window, both United and Tottenham failed with £50 million offers for Semenyo, who went on to sign a five-year contract with Bournemouth, while Liverpool have also been linked with a move.
Earlier this week, it emerged that Semenyo has a £65m release clause as part of his deal, which means Bournemouth face the prospect of losing the winger in the January transfer window.
Chelsea are well-stocked in wide areas having signed Alejandro Garnacho and Jamie Gittens in the summer, while 18-year-old Estevao has also made an immediate impact in Enzo Maresca’s attack this season following his move from Palmeiras after the Club World Cup.
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However, Cole believes his former club Chelsea should make a move for Semenyo and feels the Ghana international would immediately command a starting place in Maresca’s side.
‘Knowing Chelsea, he might be too old! I’d have to check his age, but from a football perspective, if he’s available and he wants to come, it’s a no-brainer in terms of bringing him into the football club,’ Cole said in an exclusive interview with Paddy Power.
‘With Chelsea’s model, there’ll be a financial element and evaluation element to it, so it’ll come down to that.
‘He’d be a welcome addition to the Chelsea squad, and he probably starts, because he’s been superb for Bournemouth.’
Meanwhile, Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola says he is not concerned about the club potentially being forced to sell Semenyo in the upcoming transfer window.
‘We are in November. Antoine is our player, he will continue being our player. In January, you can ask me about the market in January, but right now I’m not worried about the next markets,’ Iraola said in his press conference on Friday.
‘It’s something that especially you know that I hate to talk about in August, January, the moments when the market is open, but it is not one of those moments. It’s November.
‘I’m more worried about the situation of the players to play tomorrow, the short-term, the things that really matter and in January, we will talk about whatever happens, the players we need. But it is not something that I’m worried about today.’
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