Exclusive: Why Antoine Semenyo is set to pick Liverpool over boyhood club Arsenal in stunning £65m transfer

Liverpool have moved into pole position for Bournemouth’s electric forward Antoine Semenyo, with Football Paparazzi exclusively learning that the Reds are now overwhelming favourites to trigger his £65 million release clause in January.

And while the Ghanaian winger has never hidden his childhood love for Arsenal, sources tell Football Paparazzi that the sporting project at Anfield — and the immediate opportunity offered under Arne Slot — is proving far more decisive than nostalgia for North London.

Semenyo, 25, may dream in red and white, but the path to guaranteed game time, a starring role, and a clear long-term vision appears to exist only at Liverpool. Arsenal’s interest is real — but their pathway is congested, their finances tight, and their ability to promise Semenyo a starting place deeply uncertain.

Here is our insider breakdown on why Liverpool are favourites to sign him:

The Salah Successor Factor: A Clearer Path to Stardardom at Anfield

Liverpool’s interest is not simply opportunistic — it is strategic, urgent, and deeply integrated into their long-term planning.

AFCON Gap in January

With Mohamed Salah set to miss a crucial run of fixtures due to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, Liverpool need a proven Premier League attacker who can step straight into the starting XI.

Semenyo ticks every box:

• Premier League-proven
• Direct, explosive, and stylistically compatible
• Already thriving in right-wing and right-forward roles

For Liverpool, this is not stopgap signing — it’s January necessity meets long-term vision.

Succession Planning for the Egyptian King

Club insiders suggest the Liverpool hierarchy — led by Sporting Director Richard Hughes, who originally signed Semenyo for Bournemouth — view the Ghanaian as a serious successor candidate to Salah.

At Anfield, the path to stardom is clear and immediate.

Arsenal’s Depth Problem and FFP Roadblock

Arsenal admire Semenyo. Semenyo supports Arsenal. But the reality is blunt: they cannot give him the role he wants.

A Crowded Left Side

Semenyo’s best work comes on the left and the right. But at Arsenal:

• Gabriel Martinelli
• Leandro Trossard

…already dominate the left flank.

Signing Semenyo would push him into rotation — unacceptable to a player earning interest from a club offering immediate, guaranteed minutes.

The FFP Headache

Sources indicate Arsenal may need to offload a significant player — possibly even Martinelli himself — to create the funds and financial headroom for a £65M swoop.

Liverpool, meanwhile, have prepared for this operation for months and are ready to strike the moment the window opens.

“For a player like Antoine, performing at the very top of his game, the choice won’t be sentimental. It’ll be about where he becomes a guaranteed starter — immediately.
Right now, that club is Liverpool.”

— A source close to negotiations, speaking exclusively to Football Paparazzi

The Richard Hughes Connection: Liverpool’s Hidden Trump Card

Liverpool’s Sporting Director Richard Hughes has a long-standing relationship with Semenyo, having personally brought the Ghana international to Bournemouth.

He knows:

• His character
• His mentality
• His contract
• His release clause structure

That familiarity has given Liverpool an inside lane Arsenal cannot match.

Football Paparazzi prediction: Liverpool to seal the deal in early January

Barring a dramatic late twist, all signs now point to Semenyo choosing Liverpool over his childhood club.

The combination of:

guaranteed game time
a starring role during Salah’s AFCON absence
a long-term succession plan
and Hughes’ direct involvement

…makes Anfield the overwhelmingly more attractive project.

Expect Liverpool to activate the £65M release clause during the first two weeks of January.