PL star tells club Liverpool are ‘his top choice’ for January transfer; believes he can win CL this season

Arne Slot smiles with his arms folded during a training session.

Antoine Semenyo has reportedly told Bournemouth that Liverpool ‘is his top choice’ for a January transfer as he looks to win the Champions League this season.

The Reds are having a poor season by their standards with Arne Slot’s defending champions losing five of their first 11 Premier League matches.

Things had looked rosy early on in the campaign when Liverpool won all five of their opening five games – but since then then have lost five of their last six Premier League fixtures.

Scoring hasn’t really been a problem for the Reds, although Mohamed Salah and some of his fellow forwards have not been on top form so far this term.

But there are rumours that Liverpool could enter the transfer market to sign a new winger, as well as a centre-back to help shore up their leaky defence.

A report last week claimed that the Reds are ‘preparing an €80m (£70m) offer to sign’ Semenyo – who can play on both wings – from Bournemouth in the January transfer window.

READ: The discarded England XI without a hope of a World Cup squad place

However, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano insisted last week that it was “very unlikely” that Bournemouth would allow Semenyo to leave in the middle of the season.

Romano said on GiveMeSport’s Market Madness podcast: “I don’t think it is going to be a mid-season departure, I don’t think it is going to be with Liverpool.

“I think Liverpool is going to be very quiet in the January window. In the summer, it can be different.

“I still want to respect Bournemouth, let them enjoy the player. It is still November and they are not planning for him to leave in January.

“There is a lot of interest in the player and there is a release clause, so it is a super interesting situation but I think it is for the summer window. For January, it is very unlikely.”

There have been claims that Semenyo is ‘annoyed’ at reports that he has ‘asked to leave’ Bournemouth in the January transfer window amid mounting interest in his services.

And now the same reliable account on X made up of ‘five elite reporters’, who broke news that he wants to leave in the winter, has claimed that Liverpool is now Semenyo’s ‘top choice’ as he believes he can win the Champions League this season at Anfield.

The account wrote: ‘Exclusive. Antoine Semenyo has made it clear to Bournemouth that 𝐋𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞 in January. Apparently, he’s been vocal about his ambitions, 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐠𝐮𝐞 this season.’

Liverpool have a growing interest in Bayern Munich and France star Michael Olise

A shock report claims Liverpool are ready to make their biggest transfer statement yet with the signing of Michael Olise in 2026

and have been ‘working on a salary structure and transfer plan for weeks’ – and what the biggest British transfer of all time will mean for Mo Salah has also been revealed.

The Reds spent a whopping £440m (€505m, $600m) on transforming their title-winning squad this summer as Arne Slot sought to put his own mark on the Liverpool side and create a side he hoped would dominate for years to come.

But with Liverpool already eight points off the pace in the Premier League title race and failing to get a consistent tune from their expensively assembled squad, the Reds already have some serious ground to make up this season.

While the lavish spending was supplemented somewhat by player sales that topped £228m (€260m, $305m) which significantly reduced their net spend, FSG are far from done yet and a strong new report in Spain has unearthed reports that claim a move to bring Bayern Munich star Olise to Anfield will form the next phase of their strategy – and they are prepared to spend whatever it takes to bring the 23-year-old to Anfield.

Per the report, which comes from Fichajes, Olise has become the most ‘frequently mentioned name’ as the Reds ‘accelerate their strategic plan to find a replacement for Mohamed Salah’.

Seen as a player who can shape Liverpool’s present and future, it’s claimed the Merseysiders want to bring the ‘unpredictable talent’ to Anfield and could offer a new British record €200m (£176m, $232m) to prise him away from the Bundesliga champions.

Understandably, Bayern do not want to sell their prized asset and are making it clear, in public at least, that the France winger is deemed non-transferrable.

But behind the scenes, they claim Liverpool are refusing to take no for an answer and have been ‘working for weeks on the salary structure and the leading role the player would have upon his arrival’.

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What will it mean for Salah, and can the Olise report be trusted?

Understandably, reports from Fichajes should often be treated with caution, and there is an element to their writing which very much is aimed at the more fanciful and far-fetched of football reporting.

Far from the most reliable of outlets, they do have a history of pushing transfer speculation to the limits.

Yet, despite all that, there are some grains of truth in what they say that can be shared from other more reputable sources and suggest there may be some elements of truth in what they say.

For starters, the far more reputable Lewis Steele, of the Daily Mail, has already confirmed Liverpool’s interest in Olise.

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‘Yes, there is a chance,” Steele wrote last month. “Confidential has reported before how Olise, the Bayern Munich forward, is certainly one to watch for next summer – albeit it is nothing more than that at this stage.’

He added: “Olise could definitely be an option in the summer. Watch this space.”

Transfer journalist Graeme Bailey also says Olise is one of three names Liverpool are considering as Salah’s replacement.

“Olise is talking about a new deal at Bayern at the minute, I’m not sure he’s ready to leave in my opinion,” Bailey said recently, before adding: “He’ll be on the agenda of so many teams, just like Desire Doue and Bradley Barcola, who have both also been linked with Liverpool.

“They know who’s out there and, clearly, if and when Olise is available, it would be a surprise if they weren’t in the mix for him.”

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Despite that, reportable BILD reporter, Christian Falk, insists Bayern have no desire to sell.

“Now, he has a contract which is long enough that they don’t have to sell next summer – and they won’t sell.

“The big problem for Bayern Munich is that they want to give him a new contract, which is dangerous if Liverpool and Man City are there, and everyone’s interested in this top player.

“He’s currently on €14m [£12.2m] a year [around £234,000 a week] so there’s a bit of space to give him more. Bayern Munich want to get him on a new contract as soon as possible, but with the contract ending in 2029, they have to see if they can keep Michael Olise until then, as interested clubs will pay a big transfer fee for this kind of player.”

Fichajes, though, insists Liverpool will give everything to sign Olise, and believes the signing is becoming increasingly necessary owing to ongoing interest from Saudi Arabia in Salah and owing to what the Merseysiders believe to be the natural wear and tear of his time as a top player for Liverpool and in the Premier League.

Contracted to summer 2027, Liverpool could yet cash in for a sizeable fee a year before his deal expires and help fund their own move for his replacement in Olise.

Latest Liverpool news: Guehi transfer truthbomb; Leipzig star wanted

Meanwhile, Liverpool can further fund a move for Olise by saving themselves the costs once associated with top target Marc Guehi.

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And with talk of a free transfer move to Anfield growing more legs off the back of strong reports in the Spanish media, a significant new admission from his Crystal Palace and England teammate, Adam Wharton, has fuelled talk of a move to Merseyside.

On the subject of Salah, Slot has been urged to DROP the Egyptian from his starting XI and use the upcoming AFCON as a perfect chance for the Reds to prove there is life after their Egyptian talisman.

Elsewhere on the incoming front, fresh reports strongly suggest that the Reds are also considering a move for an electric RB Leipzig winger amid details of a significant release clause in his deal at the Red Bull Arena.

And finally, Fabrizio Romano has revealed whether Real Madrid regret signing Trent Alexander-Arnold after the former Kop favourite lost his place as their first-choice right-back.

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Who should Liverpool sign to eventually replace Mo Salah?

Michael Olise

Antoine Semenyo

Desire Doue

Bradley Barcola

LiverpoolPopularMichael OliseMohamed SalahBayern Munich

In the latest Liverpool update, Arne Slot is under scrutiny due to the team’s

disappointing start to the season, while the club grapples with yet another contract dispute involving players.

With speculation about a shortlist being prepared in case Slot loses his job and a contract issue looming for Liverpool, The ECHO provides the latest updates from Anfield.

Potential New Manager ‘Shortlist’

While Slot still has the backing of the Liverpool board, a list of candidates he was reportedly competing against prior to his appointment has come to light.

According to the Daily Mail, before Fenway Sports Group (FSG) decided to hire the Premier League-winning Dutchman, they considered reaching out to Sebastian Hoeness of Stuttgart and former Brighton coach, now at Marseille, Roberto De Zerbi.

Also in consideration were Michel from Girona, Ernesto Valverde of Athletic Bilbao, and Luciano Spalletti, who previously managed Italy and is now at Juventus.

The report suggests that the Reds may consider revisiting those targets if Slot were to leave, although this situation appears unlikely. It also points out Oliver Glasner from Crystal Palace and Andoni Iraola from Bournemouth as potential candidates to monitor, while Inigo Perez of Rayo Vallecano is noted as a manager who has gained attention in the football community for his coaching abilities.

French football icon Zinedine Zidane, who has been without a job since his departure from Real Madrid in 2021, is also referenced. Nevertheless, Zidane has allegedly distanced himself from the prospect of managing in the Premier League previously.

Vincent Kompany, who is currently making a mark with Bayern Munich, was another name considered, although a future move to City, should Pep Guardiola leave the club, seems more likely.

Liverpool’s title defense has been nothing short of a catastrophe so far.

The Reds suffered a 3-0 defeat against Manchester City, marking their second straight loss before the international break, following a 2-1 defeat to Crystal Palace in September.

After 11 matches, Arne Slot’s squad finds themselves in eighth place in the standings, trailing league leaders Arsenal by eight points. Although there were glimpses of improvement with back-to-back wins over Aston Villa and Real Madrid, the Reds seem to be back at square one.

Following Sunday’s heavy loss to City, the pressure on the Liverpool manager is mounting. This result has prompted the Dutchman to temporarily shelve any discussions regarding a title challenge.