Manchester United ready to swoop for Bournemouth star and will offer him preferred shirt number

Soccer Football – Premier League – Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester United – Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, Britain – November 8, 2025 Manchester United's Matthijs de Ligt celebrates scoring their second goal with teammates Action Images via Reuters/Matthew Childs EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NO USE WITH UNAUTHORIZED AUDIO, VIDEO, DATA, FIXTURE LISTS, CLUB/LEAGUE LOGOS OR 'LIVE' SERVICES. ONLINE IN-MATCH USE LIMITED TO 120 IMAGES, NO VIDEO EMULATION. NO USE IN BETTING, GAMES OR SINGLE CLUB/LEAGUE/PLAYER PUBLICATIONS. PLEASE CONTACT YOUR ACCOUNT REPRESENTATIVE FOR FURTHER DETAILS..

Manchester United have joined the race for Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo and are prepared to offer him his preferred shirt number. Semenyo has been linked with a move away from Bournemouth in January after it was revealed he has a £60m release clause in his contract that becomes active at that point.

Liverpool, Manchester City, and Tottenham have all been linked with a move for the player, and Manchester Evening News has now reported that United hope to jump ahead of the queue by offering the player his preferred No. 24 shirt.

Semenyo has worn the No. 24 shirt for each of his three seasons with Bournemouth. Andre Onana held that shirt number previously for United but is now on loan to Trabzonspor.

It would available for any new player to choose and could sweeten the pot for Semenyo should he choose to move to Old Trafford. The Ghana international has been in fine form to start the season, scoring six goals and adding three assists in the Premier League so far.

That form has caught the attention of several interested suitors. His release clause coupled with Ghana’s failure to qualify for January’s African Cup of Nations means he is an attractive target for many clubs looking for a midseason boost.

United were one the summer’s big spenders after an outlay of over £216m. Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, and Benjamin Sesko all joined a new look United attack but the Red Devils could be set for more investment in January.

Joshua Zirkzee is linked with a move away from the club in search of more first team minutes, which could leave United with attacking hole to fill in the squad. Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, and Rasmus Hojlund are all unlikely to return from their respective loan deals this summer, so signing Semenyo ahead of time would represent a real coup for United.

They face competition from Liverpool though, who are in search of a long term successor to Mohamed Salah.

Nadji is a football writer with over 10 years of experience covering the Premier League. His work has been featured on Football Fancast, Arsenal-Mania, and Arsenal.com, where he has built a reputation for delivering sharp analysis, engaging storytelling, and in-depth coverage of the game.