Ruben Amorim met £75m Premier League star for dinner before transfer collapsed

Semenyo has been a standout performer in the Premier League, and earlier this year, The Sun reported that Bournemouth had valued the Ghanaian international at £75 million.

United, however, were only prepared to offer £55 million, which ultimately led to the deal falling through.

Primarily deployed on either wing, Semenyo is also capable of playing through the middle. Last season, he delivered an impressive 11 goals and six assists in 37 league appearances, helping Bournemouth achieve a ninth-place finish—matching the best result in the club’s 126-year history.

His strong form has carried into the current campaign, with two goals and an assist in the first three matches. That early-season impact earned him a nomination for the Premier League Player of the Month award for August.

According to The Transfers Podcast, Amorim met Semenyo in London to assess his personality and suitability for the squad.

Despite interest from Tottenham and Newcastle, Semenyo opted to remain at Bournemouth, signing a new contract with the club.

After committing his future, Semenyo described Bournemouth as his “safe place,” emphasizing that it’s where he feels truly valued and supported.

‘If you go somewhere, you want to feel wanted, and I didn’t feel that,’ Semenyo told Sky Sports. ‘This is my safe place. I felt wanted. It feels great. I want to be playing, that’s the most important thing for me.

‘We’ve got a good group here and we’re wanting to achieve top things this year. So this is the best place to be right now.’

Bournemouth saw several high-profile departures during the summer transfer window, with defensive trio Dean Huijsen, Milos Kerkez, and Illia Zabarnyi making moves to Real Madrid, Liverpool, and Paris Saint-Germain respectively.

Following the exit of these core players, the club was understandably hesitant to part ways with any more of their standout performers, including Antoine Semenyo.

To fill the void left in their backline, the Cherries brought in reinforcements: Bafode Diakite from Lille, Adrien Truffert from Rennes, and Veljko Milosavljevic from Red Star Belgrade.

Truffert, in particular, has caught the eye of pundits — with Gary Neville naming him as his breakout pick for the 2025–26 Premier League season.

Behind the scenes, Bournemouth’s President of Football Operations, Tiago Pinto, is working to lock down a new deal for head coach Andoni Iraola, aiming to maintain stability after a transformative summer.