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Spurs Can Beat Liverpool and Man Utd to Semenyo Transfer With Genius Move
Tottenham can get one over on Premier League rivals Liverpool and Manchester United in the January transfer window by swooping to sign Antoine Semenyo.
The Bournemouth forward has been in incredible form this season, scoring 11 goals so far and laying on three assists. Only Erling Haaland and Brentford’s Igor Thiago have scored more goals than him, while there are only nine players with more assists to their name currently.
He is going to be one of the most talked about players in the January transfer window, not just because of his impressive performances, but because of the price tag around his neck.
Antoine Semenyo Release Clause Comes With A Catch
Semenyo will not come cheap, but he does have a release clause that will pique a number of clubs’ interest.
The 25-year-old, who has remained in England after Ghana’s failure to qualify for the African Cup of Nations for the first time in 21 years, is wanted by the likes of Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City and Arsenal, as well as Spurs, GIVEMESPORT understands, in January.
According to David Ornstein, Spurs could also move again for Man City’s Savinho if they can’t get a deal done for Semenyo, though.
Semenyo has a release clause in his current Cherries contract that allows him to leave the club in January for £65million. However, there is a catch in that clubs can only activate that release clause in the first two weeks of the window.
That means work will need to be done quickly if any of the top teams want to sign the frontman mid-season.
How Tottenham Can Complete a Deal
Spurs have been hit and miss under Thomas Frank so far this season, with the former Brentford manager struggling to find the perfect formula for his team.
As a result, his position is under threat, even at this early stage of his time at the club, having only replaced Ange Postecoglou at the helm in the summer.
One of those high on the list to replace him, if he is sacked, is Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola.
The Spaniard has worked wonders with the Cherries, employing the sort of free-flowing attacking football that has become synonymous with Spurs. And if Spurs were to cut their losses on Frank and employ Iraola, it could kill two birds with one stone and help them beat their rivals to the signing of Semenyo.
When all others appeared to be leaving the south coast club last summer – see Milos Kerkez, Illya Zabarnyi and Deak Huijsen – Semenyo stayed and signed a new contract, with that release clause inserted.
Iraola was key to that decision. Semenyo said: “There was a lot of interest and back-and-fourth with the club [over a potential transfer]. But I knew in my head that the manager’s got something up his sleeve this year. How we finished off the season last year was so good and we could continue, especially with the players we’ve bought in as well.
“He’s unbelievable [Iraola] honestly,” Semenyo told Jamie Redknapp.”As everyone embedded into what his playing style was, it’s just been unbelievable. It’s just relentless and I think everyone’s into it.”
Can Spurs Afford Semenyo?
Tottenham have only spent £65million on a single player once – coincidentally doing so when paying Bournemouth that much for Dominic Solanke.
That £65million was all in, with an initial £55million up front and the other £10million in add-ons. That would make Semenyo the Lilywhites’ record signing if he were to make the move to the white side of north London.
Tottenham do have the capability to splash the cash though. Owners ENIC promised a £100million investment in the team earlier this year, which was no wholly for the January transfer window but could be used by Thomas Frank to improve the squad.
Signing Semenyo would be a huge statement of intent, particularly given the teams who have also registered an interest in him.
What Has Been Said About Semenyo And His Future?
Given all the speculation, Semenyo has been focused on his work with Bournemouth when asked about his future this season.
“I try to stay present as much as I can,” Semenyo told Sky Sports. “You see the news all the time, I see it as well. I’m not oblivious but I try to stay focused. I don’t think about it too much.
“I’m enjoying my football here. If I’m not scoring goals, all of that goes away. I try to stay present, do the best I can for the team, score goals and whatever happens in the future happens.”
Team-mate Justin Kluivert described him as “world-class” earlier this season, while former Tottenham star Chris Waddle sent a message to his old club in October when he declared Semenyo the “best winger in the Premier League right now”.
Semenyo’s future will be one to watch in January – if only for the first two weeks of the window – as a number of clubs do battle to sign him.
After early reports suggested FIFA were set to announce a change to the kick-off time for England’s match against Mexico on Sunday night, bringing the fixture forward by six hours, there has been a new update. Preparations for the World Cup Round of 16 tie have hardly gone according to plan.
For the Three Lions, pre-match preparations have revolved around finding ways to deal with the challenges posed by the altitude, as well as their opponent’s imperious home form, which has seen them lose just twice across their previous 89 matches at the Azteca Stadium. Meanwhile, off the pitch, they have been trying to keep the location of their hotel under wraps to avoid the same disruptions Ecuador experienced as fans ambushed their base before their Round of 32 clash.
Both the Mexican and English governing bodies were then left baffled on Friday evening by reports in local media that their match would be played at midday in Mexico City, meaning temperatures of 35 degrees would give Thomas Tuchel’s side even more food for thought. Thunderstorm forecasts were initially given as the reason, but uncertainty around the whole fiasco quickly ensued.
Fresh Update Emerges Amid Rumours of England vs Mexico Time Change
According to Ben Jacobs, the original kick-off time stands, meaning it will remain a 1am kickoff in the UK. Theories around why the speculation around a major change to fixture scheduling include the BBC and ITV wishing to have a more favourable broadcasting time, to some suggestions that security issues had played a role.
While the suggested time change would have suited fans at home, it would not have suited England nor those travelling to watch the match live. Temperatures would have had an adverse effect on the players, while those who booked flights for the morning of the match would have faced a race against time to make it to the stadium in time.
The final decision means Keir Starmer’s emergency UK law change also remains intact, with pubs across the country allowed to stay open until 5am on Monday morning.
Thomas Tuchel Prepares For His Toughest Challenge As England Boss
Speculation around the proposed time change grew to such an extent that England players and staff were grilled on what it could mean for their preparations, with the FA allegedly furious at being ‘left in the dark’ by FIFA throughout the saga. But now that things have been cleared up, Thomas Tuchel can block out the outside noise and focus on his toughest challenge as England boss to date.
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He will be counting on Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham to deliver the goods once again, but will also hope his team have started to build some momentum heading into their fifth match of the tournament. That’s the biggest scrutiny he currently faces as the Three Lions can look disjointed at times – but a win is a win at the end of the day, and getting past Mexico on their own soil would surely get the country behind him.
Should they progress to the quarter-finals, it would set up a match against the winner of Brazil vs Norway. Their likely opponents in the semi-finals would be France, where they are expected to play for an opportunity to dethrone Argentina at MetLife Stadium on July 19.
FIFA landed themselves in hot water for its disorganisation amid uncertainty over when England‘s Round of 16 clash with Mexico at the World Cup will take place.
The round-of-16 match at the Estadio Azteca had initially been scheduled for 6 pm local time (1 am BST). Rumours surfaced online that FIFA were looking to move the game to 7 pm BST due to a risk of weather disruption.
The game has now been confirmed to go ahead as planned with a 6 am kick-off. That’s despite floods and thunderstorms being forecast, which led to discussions over moving the game forward by six hours.
Huge claim over FIFA changing England vs Mexico kick-off
It’s now being reported that weather concerns weren’t the only reason FIFA were preparing to make a change. There is talk in Mexico of a change to the kick-off time due to discussions between British broadcaster BBC and FIFA.
Mexican sports executive Pepe Hanan claims that the schedule change was due to a “negotiation between the BBC and FIFA.” He suggested that television coverage played a role in the potential new kick-off time.
Hanan said that neither the English nor Mexican FA “had anything to do with it” and that they weren’t asked for their opinions. The kick-off time prompted outgoing Prime Minister Keir Starmer to allow pubs to stay open until 5 am on Monday morning.
The BBC took their time reporting on the potential change during coverage of Egypt’s win over Australia on Friday evening. They have since refuted claims in Mexico about their alleged involvement and said the corporation “was not involved in these discussions.”
For Thomas Tuchel’s Three Lions, the situation is a massive distraction as they prepare for a daunting trip to the Azteca. While a U-turn hasn’t occurred, it has evidently left the FA looking for answers ahead of a crucial World Cup game.
Marcus Rashford on kick-off uncertainty
Marcus Rashford insisted England weren’t thrown off by the possibility of a kick-off time change and that they remained focused on the game. The Three Lions forward, who started in his nation’s 2-1 comeback win over DR Congo in the previous round, explained how it doesn’t affect Tuchel’s camp:
“It doesn’t matter. It’s a game of football at the end of the day. It doesn’t change our outlook on the game and what we’re trying to do.”
The same can’t be said for England fans who are attending the game, as their travel plans may have been thrown into disarray. FIFA didn’t officially confirm a new kick-off time but reports indicate that there had been a real possibility of them doing so.
There have also been concerns about safety ahead of the match after four fans lost their lives following Mexico’s win over Ecuador in the Round of 32. Mass celebrations involving one million fans in Mexico City led to fatalities, and President Claudia Sheinbaum warned supporters about drinking and to avoid packed gathering spots.
Arsenal and Liverpool will both likely be competing for similar players in the summer transfer window.
The Gunners and Liverpool are both competing in the Champions League next season, so they have the offer of European football to attract players.
Arsenal might feel they have an advantage over Liverpool in the race to sign some stars due to the fact that they reached the Champions League final and won the Premier League last term.
Both sides are still incredibly attractive as long as they remain in Europe, with the attraction of playing in the Premier League also a huge factor for players.
Both Liverpool and Arsenal are in the market for midfield additions this summer, and the Gunners could now be ahead in the race to sign one star.
Arsenal Storm Ahead of Liverpool
According to a report from TeamTalk, Arsenal are prepared to loan midfielder Ayoubb Bouaddi back to the French club in the summer transfer window if they secure his signature.
The Gunners are keen on signing Bouaddi alongside the likes of Liverpool, but they both face plenty of competition.
Arsenal are ahead of Liverpool in the race as Lille might not be happy with the latter’s stance. Liverpool are unconvinced by the idea of loaning Bouaddi back to Ligue 1.
Bouaddi also has interest from around Europe, including Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, and Paris Saint-Germain.
If a club like Arsenal is willing to sign Bouaddi and send him back on loan for the season, while Liverpool isn’t, it’s obvious that the French club would prefer him to move to the Gunners.
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Liverpool Could Regret Decision
Liverpool could regret the decision not to allow Bouaddi to return to Lille on loan as part of a deal in the summer transfer window.
If that is the only way of securing his signature ahead of other clubs, then the Merseyside outfit should be considering doing so.
Arsenal and other clubs appear happy to remain patient in the race for Bouaddi, who has been described as ‘elite’, which could result in Liverpool missing out on the player.
Either way, it looks set to be a competitive race for Bouaddi’s signature in the summer transfer window, with a host of clubs pushing to sign him.
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