Andoni Iraola Emphasizes Retention of Antoine Semenyo Amid Transfer Speculation

Andoni Iraola reaffirmed his commitment to keeping Bournemouth attacker Antoine Semenyo for the foreseeable future after a disappointing 4-1 defeat against Brentford.

Semenyo managed to score his ninth goal of the season at the Gtech Community Stadium; however, it was merely a consolation in what was an afternoon to forget for the Cherries, as Kevin Schade’s hat-trick extended their winless streak to nine matches.

In recent days, speculation concerning Semenyo’s future has intensified. Sources informed ESPN that Manchester City is advancing with plans to acquire the talented winger, who has a £65 million release clause that activates with the opening of the January transfer window.

Despite these developments, Iraola suggested that he anticipates Semenyo to be available for the upcoming match against Chelsea on Tuesday.

When questioned about whether he would prefer to secure a transfer fee for Semenyo sooner rather than later, Iraola firmly disagreed, stating, “No, the more games Antoine can play for us, the better. If he can play years for us, it’s much better! If it cannot be years, it can be months. If he can only play weeks, it is weeks, but the more time he plays with us, the better for us.”

Iraola emphasized Semenyo’s importance to the team, saying, “Antoine’s situation is quite clear. He is a massive player for us and even in games like today where he may not have played well, he is always a threat to score and assist. I obviously don’t want to lose him. This is quite clear, but there are some situations that are beyond my control. He will be available to play again in three days against Chelsea and I hope he plays a lot more with us.”

Semenyo’s goal was one of the few highlights for Bournemouth during their visit to west London, where Brentford capitalized on a slow start from the visitors.

Schade opened the scoring in the seventh minute with a well-executed finish from Igor Thiago’s pass, followed by a comical own goal by Bournemouth goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic, doubling Brentford’s lead by halftime.

Schade made it 3-0 just six minutes into the second half, and despite Semenyo’s close-range back-heel goal in the 75th minute, Schade completed his hat-trick in stoppage time, redirecting Mikkel Damsgaard’s cross into the net.

Keith Andrews praised Schade’s performance, stating, “I’m really pleased for Kevin; he deserves it. He works tirelessly for the team, and we demand that our attacking players run back as quickly as they advance. He is a constant threat, and in recent weeks, he has started to position himself very well. Today was a fantastic hat-trick, demonstrating his versatility with right foot, left foot, and header. It doesn’t get more complete than that. It was a good win and a strong performance, particularly in the first half.”

In contrast, Iraola’s focus was on Bournemouth’s shortcomings, noting, “It is quite easy to analyze today. We arrived 45 minutes late to a Premier League game, and normally when this happens, you are out of the game.”

PA Media contributed to this report.