Antoine Semenyo bids farewell as Bournemouth player exit confirmed
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(Credit: Imago, Getty)
Jonathan Burnett
Tue 26 August 2025 12:58, UK
Bournemouth have confirmed yet another summer sale after one of their longest-serving players completed a return to his homeland.
Andoni Iraola‘s squad has undergone multiple changes this summer after securing a ninth-placed finish and record Premier League points tally of 56 last term, with almost £200million earned in transfer fees.
The Cherries have spent over £120m themselves to help plug the gaps left by the likes of Dean Huijsen, Milos Kerkez and Illia Zabarnyi’s departures, with Luis Sinisterra also making a loan move to Cruzeiro.
Bournemouth did stem the flow of summer exits by signing Antoine Semenyo up to a new long-term contract amid speculation over a £70m move to Tottenham or Newcastle, but another move away has now been sealed.
Andoni Iraola has had a difficult summer at Bournemouth (Credit: Hasan Karim, Breaking Media)
Iraola may have lost several of last season’s key figures in big-money deals to the likes of Real Madrid and Liverpool, but the Spaniard has also sanctioned departures of players not in his long-term plans.
Philip Billing is one of these after he spent the second half of last season out on loan at Napoli, and the Dane had attracted attention from recently-relegated Ipswich Town this summer alongside Lewis Cook.
However, Billing has instead chosen to leave England on a permanent deal and returns to Denmark with FC Midtjylland, following a 13-year spell spent in the systems of Bournemouth and Huddersfield Town.
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The 29-year-old posted an emotional message on Instagram after his move to Midtjylland was confirmed on Tuesday, in which he said goodbye to his “second home” after “13 years that have flown by”.
Semenyo was one of several Bournemouth players to wish Billing well, as he commented to say: “What a man!”
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Football Insider Verdict
The Cherries may have been able to tie Semenyo down to a new deal this summer, but Iraola has been forced to rebuild his entire defence after the exits of Huijsen, Kerkez, Zabarnyi and Kepa Arrizabalaga.
Iraola has been tipped to walk away from Bournemouth if he loses any more key players this summer, with Adrien Truffert, Djordje Petrovic and Bafode Diakite signed in an effort to continue their momentum.
Semenyo is far from the only player whom the Premier League’s big hitters have kept an eye on this summer, but with the new season underway, Iraola will be desperate to keep what’s left of his team together.
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