Richard Hughes, Liverpool’s director of football, was very much ahead of the curve when it comes to a now-£65 million forward on the radar of the Premier League leaders
The former Portsmouth midfielder secured himself one of the most high-profile behind-the-scenes roles in British football on the back of some exceptional business at AFC Bournemouth
During Hughes’ time on the South Coast, Nathan Ake, Aaron Ramsdale, Ilya Zabarnyi, Milos Kerkez and Justin Kluivert all arrived.
One suspects Hughes may also have helped lay the groundwork for Bournemouth to sign Dean Huijsen – the former Juventus starlet is a summer target for Liverpool – before heading to Anfield to link up with Arne Slot in a new-look Anfield power couple.
Huijsen, by the way, is one of a number of Cherries stars on The Reds’ radar
Milos Kerkez is an option to replace Andy Robertson long-term. And while Bournemouth are reportedly demanding near £70 million for Antoine Semenyo, such an eye-watering price-tag does not appear to have had Liverpool running for the hills
Former Bristol City boss hails Antoine Semenyo as Liverpool eye Bournemouth star
A relative late-bloomer, 25-year-old Semenyo, after loan spells lower down the EFL with Newport County and Sunderland, quietly emerged as one of the Championship’s most exciting young attackers before Bournemouth took a punt on him back in 2023.
What a decision that proved to be.
Because Semenyo, a bargain at just £10 million, now appears to have no real limits to how high he can fly. A tally of ten goals – eight of those coming in the Premier League – makes the 2024/25 campaign the most prolific of his career
And given how Liverpool have excelled in the past when turning very good attackers into great ones – see Mo Salah, Sadio Mane, Diogo Jota, Roberto Firmino – Semenyo feels like a very typical sort of signing for the soon-to-be Premier League champions.
It was Lee Johnson who handed Semenyo his debut at Bristol City back in 2018, meanwhile.
Seven years on, the former Sunderland and Hibernian boss is understandably keen to take some credit for the London-born Ghana international’s unexpected emergence as a Premier League force to be reckoned with
Having arrived in Bristol from South Gloucestershire and Stroud College – rather than from an established club academy – Johnson admits that Semenyo did not have the grounding most other young players benefit from at the same age.
But, once Semenyo learned what was required to make it in the professional game, well, wind him up and watch him go.
“He didn’t have the knowledge, did he?” Johnson recalls, speaking to talkSPORT. “He didn’t have the pedigree, he hadn’t really come through an academy. Like I say, he was playing at the college.
“Everybody at the club had to put a lot of effort in. But, at the end of the day, the player has still got to buy into that and implement those changes. He was a powerful player but he’s also now a very good athlete.”
Lee Johnson says Semenyo emergence has been ‘great to see’
Manchester United, Newcastle and more have been linked with Semenyo ahead of the summer transfer window.
And Johnson would relish the sight of one of his old charges leading the line for a giant of English football, whether that be Liverpool or another.
Semenyo has already netted at Anfield, of course. He scored the opener inside just three minutes before Liverpool came roaring back to win 3-1 in August 2023.
“It’s great to see,” Johnson adds. “When you see young players that you’ve given debuts to go on and do really well, it’s really rewarding.”
“Now, he’s a really impactful player in the Premier League. It just goes to show that talent is everywhere and you can’t be closed off to recognising that talent.
“Give them the right environment, develop them and you’ve got a right chance.