According to Football Insider, Newcastle United are interested in signing Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo and have now learned his price tag.
The Magpies were back in action in the Premier League this weekend and despite a confident performance at St James’ Park, were unable to take any points away from Brighton and Hove Albion.
Danny Welbeck scored the winner for the Seagulls, while Newcastle’s 21 attempts on goal were not enough to convert chances created which has now become a concerning talking point for supporters on social media.
Eddie Howe did not demonstrate worry or frustration in his post-match interview, but it is becoming blatantly obvious that the Geordies are not performing to the high standards in attack that they have otherwise displayed in previous seasons.
Indeed, injuries have already plagued the Tyneside giants with Callum Wilson unavailable for the entirety of the campaign so far and Alexander Isak missing fixtures to recover from a toe injury in recent weeks.
However, it will increasingly feel like there was an opportunity missed in the summer to improve the attacking threat and provide quality options that can make up the numbers when key players are unfit.
The St James’ Park faithful will be hopeful that new sporting director Paul Mitchell will not pass up the chance to improve the squad in the January transfer window, with his attention focused on bolstering the forward line.
Football Insider have further confirmed reports that Newcastle are interested in signing Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo in the turn of the year, and have noted that the Cherries are slapping a £40m-£50m on the player considered one of their biggest assets.
Should Newcastle sign Antoine Semenyo in January?
There is no doubt that the Newcastle attack is in desperate need of a fresh perspective to unlock the goal-scoring tenacity that has been missing this season so far, and Semenyo could be the right profile of player to invest in.
The 24-year-old has become one of the most talked about players in the Premier League for his contributions and performances at Bournemouth, with Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal also noted as high-profile clubs keeping tabs on his progress.
Miguel Almiron and Jacob Murphy are the two players battling it out for the right wing role in the first-team, but neither have delivered any goals this season so far which will be frustrating for the fans, especially with the wingers being heavily relied upon for goal contributions during the absence of Wilson and Isak.
Over eight Premier League appearances so far, Semenyo has scored three goals, registered one assist and created two big chances, as well as averaging 4.6 shots and one key pass per game, as per SofaScore.
Although three goals may not seem a lot, only Harvey Barnes has matched his goal-scoring output this season for Newcastle, while Isak and Gordon only match that output combined and the competition on the right wing have no tally to compare.
The Ghana native’s direct and aggressive approach on the right flank has not gone unnoticed, with Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp waxing lyrical about the forward’s talent and Bournemouth’s massive coup:
“Semenyo on the right wing, is an absolute star…it cost £10m from Bristol City, what a great signing he was. He is worth a fortune; such a graceful, powerful player. He’s got everything that young man.”
It remains unclear as to whether the Magpies are in a position to make a lucrative offer for the winger in January, but considering they were in a position to fund a £60m bid for Marc Guehi in the summer, it will likely depend on what Paul Mitchell intends to prioritise.
With that being said, it will be interesting to see if Newcastle will make a big money offer to secure Semenyo’s signature in January and curious to see if the Cherries would be willing part ways with one of their most important players mid-season.