Manchester City have completed the signing of Antoine Semenyo from Bournemouth in a deal worth £64 million, continuing their aggressive recruitment drive under Director of Football Hugo Viana. The Ghanaian winger signed a five-and-a-half-year contract on Friday, January 9, 2026, taking City's transfer spending over the past 12 months to a staggering £425.9 million across 14 players.

The 26-year-old forward arrives at the Etihad Stadium in sensational form, sitting as the Premier League's third-highest scorer this season with 10 goals. His departure from Bournemouth was marked by a fairytale ending, as Semenyo netted a 90th-minute winner against Tottenham Hotspur in his final match for the Cherries on Wednesday, ending an 11-match winless run for the south coast club.

City moved decisively to secure Semenyo's services, agreeing a deal with Bournemouth outside of the player's £65 million release clause. The final package was structured at £62.5 million upfront, with an additional £1.5 million in performance-related bonuses and a 10 percent sell-on clause. Despite significant interest from Liverpool, Manchester United, Tottenham, and Chelsea before Christmas, City were the only club to formally trigger discussions over the release clause, which was active from January 1 to January 10.

Semenyo has taken the iconic No. 42 shirt at City, previously worn by club legend Yaya Toure. The versatile attacker, who can operate on both flanks, leaves Bournemouth with an impressive record of 32 goals and 13 assists in 110 appearances since arriving from Bristol City in 2023 for just £10 million.

Hugo Viana expressed his delight at securing the signing, stating that Semenyo was the player City wanted most. The Director of Football praised the forward as humble, hard-working, professional, and totally focused on improving as a footballer, describing him as ideal for the club's ambitions.

Semenyo himself spoke of his pride at joining the Premier League's dominant force of the past decade. He acknowledged watching City's remarkable success under Pep Guardiola, highlighting their achievements in the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, and League Cup, and noted the exceptionally high standards set by the club.

Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola paid tribute to the departing star, describing his final performance against Tottenham as a fairytale ending to his time at the Vitality Stadium. The Spanish coach acknowledged the difficulty of losing such a key player mid-season but recognized the opportunity was too significant for Semenyo to turn down.

The forward was registered in time to potentially make his City debut in the FA Cup third-round tie against League One side Exeter City on Saturday. He will also be eligible for the highly anticipated Carabao Cup semifinal first leg against Newcastle United at St James' Park on Tuesday, giving Guardiola immediate options to integrate his new signing into the squad.

City's continued investment signals their determination to return to the summit of English football following a challenging period. With Semenyo adding pace, directness, and proven Premier League goal-scoring ability to their attacking options, Guardiola now has another weapon in his arsenal as the business end of the season approaches.