Manchester City’s Director of Football, Hugo Viana, has revealed that Ghanaian forward Antoine Semenyo was the club’s top target in the winter transfer window.
Semenyo completed a £65 million move to the Premier League champions on Friday, signing a five-and-a-half-year deal that will keep him at the Etihad Stadium until 2031.
Manchester City completed the signing of the Black Stars forward from AFC Bournemouth for an initial £62.5 million, a fee that could rise to £64–65 million with add-ons.
The deal sees Semenyo commit to City on a five-and-a-half-year contract until 2031.
Antoine is a really exciting signing for the football club,
“He made it clear to us immediately that it was City he wanted to join. His enthusiasm for this football club was evident throughout the process.
Time to shine in blue 💫🩵 pic.twitter.com/fvVGVmONbt
— Manchester City (@ManCity) January 9, 2026
Viana praised Semenyo’s all-round abilities and highlighted his potential to grow further under City’s setup.
“He has huge quality; two great feet, pace, power, and a habit of influencing games,” he said.
“Importantly, he still has real room for growth and development. I’m excited to see the player Antoine can become in the weeks, months and years ahead.”
The City director also stressed how highly the club rated Semenyo compared to other transfer targets.
“We are constantly watching players all over the world. Antoine was the one we most wanted,” Viana added.
“He has shown he can perform in the Premier League. He is humble, hard-working, professional and totally focused on being a better footballer. He is ideal for us.
Born in London to Ghanaian parents, Semenyo started his career at Bristol City before loan spells at Bath City, Newport County, and Sunderland.
His breakthrough came after joining Bournemouth in the 2022/23 season, where he developed into one of the league’s most consistent attackers.
This season, the 25-year-old has already scored 10 Premier League goals and provided three assists. Across all competitions for Bournemouth, Semenyo made 110 appearances, scoring 32 goals and assisting 13 times before sealing his move to Manchester City.
