Liverpool 'join Antoine Semenyo transfer chase' as Arne Slot ready to spend big again

Liverpool are ready to rival Tottenham and Manchester United for the signature of Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo, according to reports. The reigning Premier League champions spent nearly £420million on transfers in the summer, welcoming a host of new players including Alexander Isak, Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz. However, they are currently in the midst of a slump having lost their last four games in all competitions.

They are still reeling from their dramatic defeat to United, who secured victory at Anfield for the first time since 2016 on Sunday afternoon. Questions have also been asked of Isak and Wirtz given their muted starts to life on Merseyside. Mohamed Salah has come under fire too, with the Egyptian winger struggling to make an impact after a blistering campaign last season.

He will also depart in January for the Africa Cup of Nations, which could see the Reds dip back into the transfer market. They have identified Semenyo as a player of interest and club chiefs are 'considering whether to push the button', according to i.

The report states that Liverpool have been tracking the Bournemouth winger for a while and could accelerate their pursuit when the transfer market opens at the turn of the year.

They are not the only club with a desire to land Semenyo, though, with the likes of Tottenham and United also thought to be keen admirers.

He is said to have a release clause at Bournemouth but it is not clear how much Liverpool would need to pay. In the summer, the Cherries reportedly had an asking price of around £75m.

Despite spending a huge amount of money in the previous window, Liverpool have the headroom to splash more cash in January thanks to the recent exits of Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz.

Bournemouth are thought to be aware of the interest in Semenyo, with club chiefs knowing they will face a battle to keep him at the Vitality Stadium. They would prefer to sell at the end of the season but a January exit has not been definitively ruled out.

Andoni Iraola was quizzed on the 25-year-old's release clause over the weekend and said: "I don't know anything about the contracts of the players. I don't know how much they earn and don't want to know either.

"The most important thing for me is that he continues playing well. If he does there will be more noise but it's something we take if he's playing well. My concern is to keep him in the spot where he's playing well."

Liverpool have a history of doing business with Bournemouth, having signed Milos Kerkez from them earlier this year. They also have a link to the club through sporting director Richard Hughes, who previously held a similar position with the Cherries.