Bournemouth is facing a severe identity crisis this winter as the club prepares to sell their "talisman," Antoine Semenyo, to Manchester City. According to Fabrizio Romano and Sky Sports, City has triggered Semenyo’s £65 million (€74.5m) release clause, which is active only for the first ten days of January. The 25-year-old Ghanaian international, who has recorded 9 goals and 3 assists this season, is expected to undergo a medical on Thursday following Bournemouth’s clash against Tottenham.

This high-profile exit follows a massive defensive firesale during the summer 2025 window, where the "Cherries" capitalized on their players' skyrocketing market values. The club offloaded their entire starting backline, including Illia Zabarnyi to PSG (€66m), Dean Huijsen to Real Madrid (£50m), Milos Kerkez to Liverpool (£40m), and winger Dango Ouattara to Brentford (£42m). While these deals generated over £200 million in revenue, the vacuum of leadership and cohesion has left the squad tactically exposed.

The consequences of this "sell-first" strategy have been devastating on the pitch. Despite a brief surge to 2nd place in the Premier League early in the season, Andoni Iraola’s side has since completely collapsed, enduring an 11-game winless streak as of January 7, 2026. Now sitting in 15th place and rapidly sliding toward the relegation zone, fans are increasingly concerned that the board is prioritizing profit over Premier League survival. Without immediate and significant reinforcements in the January window, Bournemouth faces the grim prospect of a return to the Championship.