Antoine Semenyo says he has arrived at Manchester City with the intention of getting the club back into the Premier League title race. The £62.5m signing joins a team six points behind the leaders, Arsenal, with 17 matches remaining.
The 26-year-old’s transfer from Bournemouth, who could receive £1.5m in add-ons and are due 10% of any future profit, was confirmed on Friday and Semenyo will be in the squad to face Exeter in the FA Cup on Saturday. City fought off competition from Liverpool and Manchester United to secure his signature.
“It’s going to be a challenge to get into the title race but I’m ready and I’m ready to be part of this journey,” said Semenyo, who has a five-and-a-half-year deal. “It’s only just sinking in now, to be honest. I’ve had to work very hard to get to this point and I’m over the moon it’s done.”
Semenyo is in line to make his debut at home to Exeter as part of a strong squad after Pep Guardiola said he could not afford to rest players with the team needing to get their season back on track after three straight league draws. The head coach said there would be “not much” rotation. “We have to come back to winning games and the FA Cup is the FA Cup,” Guardiola said.
It has been a circuitous route for Semenyo to City and Champions League football, the forward having spent time on loan at Bath and Newport before flourishing with Bristol City and Bournemouth.
“I’m still improving and I feel like I’m still yet to reach my peak,” Semenyo said. “I feel like I’ve got learning to do and joining City is the best thing for my development. The best coaches and best players – taking my game to the next level.
“I’ve had to be a strong character. Emotionally and mentally, I’ve had to get really strong. I have my family, friends and fiancée around me, keeping me uplifted and always pushing me. I’ve had to push myself quite a bit to get through a lot of hard times. It’s made me the man I am today: strong, fearless and ready to attack the world.”
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Semenyo has scored 10 goals and provided three assists in 20 Premier League games this season and is a long-throw specialist, though whether Guardiola utilises it remains to be seen. “I have many thousands of priorities [bigger] than that,” Guardiola coach said.
Semenyo ended his three-year stay at Bournemouth by scoring the decisive late goal in Wednesday’s 3-2 victory at home to Tottenham on his 26th birthday. Bournemouth bought him from Bristol City for £10m and must give the Championship club 20% of the profit they make from the sale.
