Ruben Amorim feels Antoine Semenyo is a ‘special player’ but also distanced Manchester United from transfer interest in the Bournemouth star.
The 25-year-old started the season brilliantly and has scored six times in 11 Premier League appearances for the Cherries.
His, and the team’s, form has tailed off in recent weeks, but the Ghana international was already drawing attention in the transfer market after netting 11 top flight goals over the previous campaign.
Bournemouth kept hold of him over the summer and he signed a new five-year contract, but a 2026 move looks likely, with a January exit a possibility due to a release clause in his contract.
The BBC report that the contract Semenyo signed in July contains a release clause worth £65m which can only be activated in the first two weeks of the January transfer window.
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That would leave Bournemouth time to replace their star player before the end of the winter window.
Manchester United were linked with a move for Semenyo in the summer, as were the likes of Liverpool and Tottenham.
Ahead of Manchester United hosting Bournemouth on Monday night, Amorim was asked if Semenyo is a player he would like to have in his team.
While he distanced himself from that notion, he did have high praise for the former Bristol City player and his manager, Andoni Iraola.
‘No, it’s not the case,’ Amorim said on wanting Semenyo in his side. ‘I think there is a lot of special players in the league.
‘To summarise them: top manager, top team, I really like the team, and a top player, I think he’s a special player.’
Semenyo has not scored since a brace against Fulham on October 3 but Iraola does not think transfer speculation has harmed his form.
‘We cannot only analyse the numbers,’ said the Cherries boss. ‘He’s not our number nine. He’s a winger that gives us a lot of goals and a lot of assists, and he gives us chances normally. He was the biggest threat against Chelsea the other day.
‘I don’t feel (transfer speculation) is affecting him a lot. When you hear your name every day in the news you have to deal with the situation, but I think he’s committed, and I haven’t seen a lot of changes in him.’
Antoine Semenyo Premier League stats
Apps: 95
Goals: 26
Assists: 10
Iraola had praise for a couple of Manchester United stars before he takes his team to Old Trafford, picking out Amad Diallo as a much-improved player.
‘The signings they have made up front – [Bryan] Mbeumo, [Matheus] Cunha, [Benjamin] Sesko – but especially players like Amad, who is now even more important
‘He is an even bigger threat, and we have to be ready to defend difficult duels for the full-backs and for the centre-backs because you have to defend some very good players in open spaces.’
He also had praise for Mason Mount, who scored in the win over Wolves last week.
‘Mason Mount is a very smart player,’ said the Cherries boss. ‘He always takes up good positions. I think he understands and analyses the game really well, to take up spaces on the pitch that he can exploit better.
‘Sometimes he plays higher, sometimes lower, sometimes wider, sometimes inside, and obviously, there is a reason he does that. Then he is also a lovely player on the ball if we allow him a lot of time.’