The "Red Devils," Manchester United, faced a complete disappointment when a well-known Premier League player refused to join their squad.
Fabrizio Romano, the renowned transfer market journalist, reported that Manchester United tried every possible way to sign Antoine Semenyo, Bournemouth's winger, in the upcoming January transfer window. However, the player ultimately chose to join Manchester City.
Manchester United has lost Bryan Mbeumo, Ahmad Diallo, and Noussair Mazraoui to their national teams for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, while Bruno Fernandes may miss up to six games due to a hamstring injury. This forced Ruben Amorim to urgently enter the transfer market to strengthen the squad, especially in the attacking positions.
Antoine Semenyo, Bournemouth's winger, was the player Manchester United pursued intensely to bring on board, but in the end, he decided to move to Manchester City. Recently, Romano commented on the deal, stating that United truly tried their best.
"Manchester United's response was, 'We did everything we could.' They tried their utmost, both tactically and financially. United made a very significant financial offer to Semenyo and pushed the deal hard, even ready to change their playing system to accommodate him," he said.
"Therefore, Semenyo would not have to play as a wing-back. United's idea was to open the door to a different system, allowing Semenyo to play as the main striker."
"However, the most important point is that Ruben Amorim emphasized he only wants players who genuinely want to join Manchester United and wear the red shirt. In the end, Semenyo did not choose United," Romano concluded.