Ornstein: ‘Steps expected to be taken’ to ‘finalise’ deal for long-admired Man United target this week

David Ornstein has confirmed that ‘steps are expected to be taken’ to ‘finalise’ Antoine Semenyo’s Bournemouth exit this week.After choosing to sign for Manchester City over the host of clubs that had registered their interest, Semenyo and the Cherries agreed that he would play in their tricky run of fixtures against Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, the latter of which will kick off tomorrow evening at 7.30pm.Then, upon the culmination of the clash, the forward will have the chance to bid farewell to the Vitality Stadium faithful before travelling to Manchester to complete his Etihad switch.Semenyo rebuffed Red Devils approach in favour of cross-city rivals(Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)Manchester United were firmly in the mix for Semenyo in the build-up to the January window, having retained their summer interest when initial talks were held.Ruben Amorim met with the player to gauge whether he’d be open to making the move to Old Trafford before 2025/2026 got underway. However, no deal was struck, and Semenyo instead decided to extend his future with Bournemouth by signing a bumper five-year deal.Seemingly, he only did so to ensure he could oversee a seamless mid-season exit, as Ornstein confirmed in November that a £65 million release clause had been added to the Ghanaian’s terms.How Semenyo snub contributed to Amorim and INEOS rift(Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)The transfer expert adds that United’s pursuit of Semenyo contributed to Amorim’s dismissal on Monday; after it became clear that the attacker would be joining City this month, INEOS informed Amorim that January signings were unlikely. 🚨 Manchester United plans for January unchanged despite Ruben Amorim exit 🚨 Antoine Semenyo to play final game for #AFCB v #THFC before steps taken to seal Man City move 🚨 No guarantee Marc Guehi joins #MCFC even if pursuit intensifies@TheAthleticFChttps://t.co/SukuCdJcAw — David Ornstein (@David_Ornstein) January 6, 2026They had ‘earmarked’ the Cherries talisman as an ‘isolated opportunity’ to push for, given the newly-added release clause and the fact he was a ‘pre-existing target’. Appearances Goals Assists 19 9 3 *Semenyo’s Premier League form this campaignAlas, it’s safe to say that United supporters should have low expectations on the incomings front for the remainder of the window.