MU 'giving up' on player Liverpool were told to 'swap Salah with' speaks volumes

Manchester United are refusing to overpay for their biggest transfer targets this summer, which has reportedly led to a move for Bournemouth's Antoine Semenyo breaking down

Manchester United have reportedly given up in their pursuit of Antoine Semenyo - who was once dubbed a “younger version” of Mohamed Salah - after refusing to meet Bournemouth’s asking price.

Having already wrapped up the £62.5million signing of Matheus Cunha to kickstart their summer transfer activity, United are in the market for a more multi-functional forward. Fitting that description is Semenyo, though the move now appears to have crumbled.

The Ghanaian winger’s impressive 13 goals and seven assists this season sparked United’s interest, with talkSPORT claiming the player held talks with the club over a potential Old Trafford move. But the same performances that caught United’s attention have prompted Bournemouth to set the 25-year-old’s transfer value at a whopping £70m.

That figure is part of a wider trend seen this summer, where Premier League clubs are charging more for their players as the traditional big clubs shift their attention to signing players with experience in England’s top flight.

The i Paper reports that, in addition to United, Spurs showed the most interest in Semenyo, having stayed in contact with the Cherries after making an initial enquiry last week. But there’s an increasing belief he will stay at Bournemouth, with the Red Devils, Spurs and Newcastle all unwilling to meet their hefty asking price after he agreed a five-year contract extension with the club last year.

United’s reluctance to pay so much is a clear indication of their approach to the summer transfer window, where they are under financial constraints and will not splurge as recklessly as they have done in the past.

For example, Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo has emerged as Ruben Amorim’s top target over Semenyo, but the Red Devils only want him for a reasonable fee. Despite the Cameroonian's desire to join the Red Devils, United are yet to agree a deal with Brentford, who rejected a second bid of £55 million plus £7.5 million in bonuses for the 25-year-old.

The Bees want at least the same fee United paid Wolves for Cunha up-front and it is still unclear whether the Red Devils will pay it. After missing out on European football next season, Amorim’s transfer budget this summer is not as big as it might have been if he had won the Europa League final in May.

However, United’s latest financial results for the first three months of 2025 revealed a more encouraging picture despite Sir Jim Ratcliffe earlier this year suggesting the club was on course to run out of money by Christmas.

It’s understood that United will therefore look to complete the signing of Mbeumo to go alongside Cunha with their current finances. But they will need to sell the likes of Tyrell Malacia, Alejandro Garnacho, Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Antony before making any further additions beyond Mbeumo.

If United bank the fees they are looking for for the aforementioned players, they will secure somewhere in the region of £170m. It is not expected that Amorim will sign a third forward, with those funds set to be invested in other areas of the pitch.

That will mean missing out on Semenyo, who, former United striker Michael Owen, encouraged Liverpool to buy back in March as a replacement for Salah, whose future at the time was still unclear.

Owen claimed the versatile winger could be a suitable heir to the Egyptian at Anfield, saying: “I like Antoine Semenyo at Bournemouth, who plays in the same position as Salah. I like him, a younger version, but definitely got energy, scoring capabilities and a good player.”

He added: “That being said, you can’t replace Mo Salah. I mean if you said Mo Salah and Darwin Nunez went and Alexander Isak and Antoine Semenyo came then I don’t think it’s the worst swap in the world if we’re playing fantasy football here, but realistically Liverpool want to keep hold of their best players and Mo Salah is their best player so hopefully he doesn’t leave." Semenyo now looks set to stay at Bournemouth unless the club drop their valuation or the player tries to force a move through.