Bournemouth boss Iraola desperate to keep Semenyo as Chelsea join Liverpool and Man United in race for Ghanaian

Andoni Iraola is desperate that Bournemouth can keep in-demand winger Antoine Semenyo, but admits the situation is out of the club’s control.

Semenyo is a reported target for most of the Premier League’s big guns, with Chelsea join the race alongside the likes of Manchester City, Liverpool And Manchester United.

The Ghana international has a £65m release clause which expires on January 10 and is likely to be one of the first movers in the next transfer window.

Asked about Semenyo today ahead of Bournemouth’s clash with Brentford on Saturday, Iraola said: “Semenyo is with us at the moment. He trained today with us. I know there is a lot of noise around him. That’s not my concern, my concern is that it doesn’t affect his performance. It doesn’t, he’s very committed to the team and I hope we can keep him here.

“The situation we can’t control, but Antoine is currently our player. He’s going to continue playing for us. If you ask me, I don’t want to lose him, definitely not. But every time the market opens, you never know what’s going to happen.”

Semenyo still performing well despite transfer discussions

Semenyo has been the subject of transfer speculation for some time, but that has not affected his recent performances.

“Antoine, for me, played very well. Not just the last two games where he scored,” added Iraola.

“He has always been very good from the start [of the season]. Even if he doesn’t score, he remains valuable for us. Ultimately, we don’t just demand numbers. It’s no secret he’s a major player for us.

Bournemouth go into the weekend’s match at the Gtech Community Stadium in 15th placealthough nine points above the relegation zone, after a winless run dating back to October 26.