Manchester United are said to be ‘firmly in the race’ for Bournemouth ace Antoine Semenyo.

That’s according to Sky Sports journalist Lyall Thomas this morning, who adds that the Red Devils and arch-rivals Manchester City are the ‘strongest rivals’ to Tottenham Hotspur as things stand.

However, ‘some insiders’ have categorised City as the favourites to win the battle for his signature.

Exclusive: #ManchesterUnited and #ManchesterCity are firmly in the race to sign Antoine Semenyo from #Bournemouth. They are the strongest rivals to #Tottenham as it stands, with some insiders believing #City to be current leading contenders. More on @SkySportsNews and here:… pic.twitter.com/H2sMy0QlhO

— Lyall Thomas (@SkySportsLyall) December 16, 2025

Semenyo was back to his best at Old Trafford on Monday evening (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

United chiefs got a closer look at just how influential Semenyo can be – albeit they’d have much rather not – when he added to his tally at Old Trafford last night with a goal in the whirlwind 4-4 draw.

It came after a seven-game streak without notching any goal contributions, during which Bournemouth were winless for six of those matches – highlighting just how integral the Ghanaian is to the side’s results.

Appearances Goals Assists 96 27 12

*Semenyo’s total Premier League record thus far (Transfermarkt)

Semenyo: The state of play ahead of rumoured Cherries exit(Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

Semenyo is expected to be on the move in the winter due to a £65 million release clause that was added to his contract when he penned a five-year extension on July 1.

Over the summer, United first established their interest in signing the 25-year-old and held talks over a potential deal, with Manchester Evening News even claiming that the player met one-on-one with Ruben Amorim to discuss a prospective move.

Nothing materialised from the meeting, and Semenyo then opted to commit his future to the Cherries, although it now looks as though he only did so to ensure he could oversee a seamless exit when the time came for him to depart.

He, unlike United’s in-form forwards Amad Diallo and Bryan Mbeumo, will continue playing over the festive period and into the New Year, as Ghana did not qualify for the African Cup of Nations.

City, on the other hand, will be without Omar Marmoush, which likely explains why they’ve decided to up the ante in their pursuit of Semenyo.