Manchester City have decisively addressed a key strategic need in their attack with the £64 million signing of Antoine Semenyo from Bournemouth, a move designed to inject pace, power, and a new tactical dimension into Pep Guardiola’s quest for trophies.
The 26-year-old Ghana international, who has signed a five-and-a-half-year contract at the Etihad Stadium, arrives with an impressive haul of 10 Premier League goals this season and is viewed by the club’s hierarchy as a player entering his prime with the attributes to thrive in multiple forward roles.
The transfer, confirmed on January 9, 2026, culminates a period of intense interest from several top clubs and sees City commit an initial £62.5 million, with a further £1.5 million in potential add-ons. City’s Director of Football, Hugo Viana, revealed the winger was the club’s top target, stating, “We are constantly watching players all over the world. Antoine was the one we most wanted… He is ideal for us”.
Semenyo himself expressed immense pride at joining the club, highlighting Guardiola’s influence. “I have watched City over the last decade under Pep Guardiola, and they have been the dominant team,” he said. “My best football is yet to come, I am sure of that… I really feel I can help them have a strong second half of the season”.
Semenyo’s integration into Guardiola’s starting eleven is expected to be both immediate and flexible. Analysis of his profile suggests he offers solutions in three primary positions across City’s frontline.
Most naturally, he will compete for a starting berth on either wing in Guardiola’s preferred 4-3-3 or 4-1-4-1 formations. His signing is seen as a direct response to a reliance on Erling Haaland’s goals and the need for more consistent output from wide areas, a void left since the departures of Riyad Mahrez, Leroy Sané, and Raheem Sterling.
Jeremy Doku provides relentless dribbling and Savinho creativity, but Semenyo adds a uniquely potent goal threat from the flanks, averaging nearly double the shots per game of Doku since the start of last season.
Crucially, Semenyo’s skill set brings a new weapon to City’s tactical arsenal: a devastating threat on the counter-attack. While City remain a possession-dominant side, their style has evolved this season to be more accepting of end-to-end contests.
Data shows they are generating a significantly higher proportion of their expected goals from fast breaks than in previous campaigns. Semenyo, described as “one of the most incisive players on the breakaway in Europe,” is perfectly suited to this shift.
His breathtaking solo goal at Anfield on the opening day of the season, where he carried the ball over 50 metres before finishing, exemplifies the “frighteningly fast and powerful” transition game he will now offer City.
Furthermore, his remarkable two-footedness makes him a unpredictable and consistent threat against deep-lying defences. Of players with over 50 shots in Europe’s top leagues since last season, no one has a more even split between left-footed and right-footed attempts.
This ambidexterity, combined with a powerful shooting technique, allows him to generate high-quality chances from various angles, adding a different kind of penalty-box presence that complements Haaland’s central dominance. Additionally, his physicality and experience playing as a centre-forward for Bristol City provide Guardiola with a credible alternative to lead the line should Haaland require rest, offering a different profile to backup striker Omar Marmoush.
Semenyo could make his debut as soon as this weekend in the FA Cup third-round tie against Exeter City, and a recent rule change also makes him eligible for the upcoming Carabao Cup semi-final against Newcastle United, despite featuring in the competition for Bournemouth earlier this season. His final act for Bournemouth was a storybook moment, a 95th-minute winner against Tottenham Hotspur, which manager Andoni Iraola called a “fairytale ending”.
For Manchester City, however, the story is just beginning. The acquisition of Antoine Semenyo is not merely a squad addition but a calculated enhancement of their attacking philosophy, providing Guardiola with the versatile, peak-age match-winner he believes can be the catalyst for success across four competitions.