Manchester City have continued their aggressive recruitment drive by completing the £64 million signing of Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo, pushing the club’s spending over the last 12 months beyond £425 million.
The 26-year-old has signed a five-and-a-half-year contract and is expected to be officially unveiled on Friday.
City agreed to a deal just outside Semenyo’s £65m release clause, with Bournemouth set to receive a guaranteed £62.5m, plus £1.5m in performance-related add-ons and a 10 per cent sell-on clause.
Pep Guardiola’s side fended off competition from Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham to secure the Ghana international.
Semenyo arrives after a standout spell on the south coast, capped by a dramatic stoppage-time winner against Spurs in his final appearance for Bournemouth. His pace, physicality and direct style are seen as a strong fit for Guardiola’s evolving attack.
The move takes City’s total outlay in the past year to £425.9m across 14 players, underlining the club’s intent to refresh the squad while remaining at the top of English football.
For Bournemouth, the sale continues a remarkable period of player trading, with over £260m raised in the past six months alone. Bristol City will also benefit due to a percentage of the profit from Semenyo’s transfer.