Paul Merson tells Antoine Semenyo to snub Chelsea and Man Utd for surprise club | Football

Paul Merson believes Antoine Semenyo should snub interest from Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool and Manchester City to sign for a different Premier League club.

The future of Semenyo will dominate the first part of the January transfer window, with the Premier League’s top clubs all desperate to sign the Bournemouth superstar.

So far this season, the winger has eight goals – a tally bettered only by Erling Haaland and Igor Thiago – and three assists in 16 appearances.

Semenyo, who will turn 26 next month, has a £65million release clause in his contract but it must be triggered by January 10.

United, Liverpool, City and Tottenham have long held interest in the Ghanian though it is said he has no interest in joining Spurs.

On Tuesday, it was reported that Chelsea had made an approach for the forward, but top of the table Arsenal will not enter this transfer race.

It would seem Semenyo has his pick of the clubs, but in a somewhat surprising twist, Merson thinks he should reconsider moving to north London.

‘Tottenham need to make a real key signing that would kickstart them for the next five, ten years. I think he suits them,’ the former Arsenal player and life-long Chelsea fan told Sky Sports.

‘That would be a statement for them. They need to make a key signing and beat a couple of other clubs that are after him. But will they? I don’t know.

‘They’d have to do all that behind the scenes and make sure they get it over the line. They won’t want to be embarrassed like they have over the last three or four transfers they’ve been in for.’

Merson went onto add that Semenyo’s playing style would be well suited to Tottenham who are struggling for consistency under Thomas Frank.

Moreover, he believes the promise of being a permanent starter for Spurs would trump become a squad player for the rival teams looking to sign him.

‘I ain’t sure if he suits the others. Liverpool maybe but then you’re taking [Mo] Salah’s place.

‘Chelsea have got loads of wingers already, they’ve got [Alejandro] Garnacho, [Pedro] Neto, Estevao, [Jamie] Gittens – who’s not really produced at the moment – so I don’t know about that. Plus, he’s 26 so I don’t see the sell-on on that one.

‘Man United? He’ll play wingback, he won’t play in his favoured position there. He won’t want to play wingback, he won’t want to run up and down the wing every week, he just won’t.

‘Man City? How long will Pep Guardiola be there? If you sign a four-year contract and the manager leaves at the end of the season, whose to say the next manager comes in and wants to play him. You just don’t know that.

‘So for me, Tottenham would be the one. Plus he’ll play every week at Tottenham. At the end of the day, he seems like one of them lads that just wants to play football. He’ll get that consistency of playing week in, week out.

‘You go to Man City or Liverpool or Chelsea, you’re not playing every week, you’re playing every now and then and he’s not that player.’

For more stories like this, check our sport page.

Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on
Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

MORE: Man Utd willing to sanction first transfer exit of January window – on one condition

MORE: Chelsea ‘making moves behind the scenes’ to sign midfielder on Arsenal’s radar

MORE: ‘I don’t see it’ – Tim Sherwood worried by £52m Man Utd signing