Bournemouth have come to accept that they may be unable to stop Antoine Semenyo from departing as early as January, despite their preference to keep him at the club until the end of this season.

Although Semenyo signed a new deal in July, one that commits him to the Vitality Stadium until June 2030 and has produced an outstanding season, he continues to draw interest. Last summer he was pursued by several sides, including Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, and his form since then has only strengthened that attention.

As part of the agreement to retain him, Bournemouth inserted a release clause into his fresh contract. The decision appears justified: the 25-year-old has already contributed six goals and three assists, helping lift the team to ninth in the Premier League. During the previous transfer window, clubs were informed that it would take around £70million ($92.2m) to secure him, but his buyout figure for the winter window has now been formally set at £65m.

That clause can be triggered by any club before a designated deadline, giving Bournemouth only a short period to source a replacement for one of their most influential players. Recent reports have linked the Ghana international to Liverpool, Manchester City and Spurs. Should Bournemouth resist offers in January, the clause will again be active when the following window opens, this time at an even cheaper price.

A potential exit would clearly be a major setback, yet Bournemouth have previously absorbed the loss of key players without derailing Andoni Iraola’s side. Real Madrid activated a £50m clause to sign centre-back Dean Huijsen in May, and the year prior Tottenham acquired Dominic Solanke through his £65m release mechanism.

Despite also selling Milos Kerkez, Illia Zabarnyi and Dango Ouattara, Bournemouth have continued to progress. Those examples suggest the club will already be drawing up options across multiple positions and preparing contingency plans in the event that Semenyo does indeed move on.