Liverpool know stance on Antoine Semenyo transfer as approach made clear

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Liverpool have linked with a move for Bournemouth attacker Antoine Semenyo in recent daysHaving started the season in blistering fashion, it's no surprise to see Bournemouth's Antoine Semenyo linked with clubs further up the Premier League's perceived pecking order. The Ghana forward has only been outscored by Manchester City's Erling Haaland so far and his displays for the Cherries have since seen Liverpool credited with an interest alongside Tottenham Hotspur.City are also said to be monitoring the attacker and at the age of 25 years old, Semenyo is likely to be the next high-profile departure from the Vitality Stadium as Bournemouth continue operating with the model that has made them one of the best run clubs in the top flight in recent years.Last summer's exodus saw their outgoing players leave with the best wishes of all on the south coast likely ringing in their ears as the likes of Dean Huijsen, Milos Kerkez and Illia Zabarnyi joined Real Madrid, Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain, respectively.READ MORE: Liverpool could lose Mohamed Salah earlier than hoped as crunch AFCON talks continueREAD MORE: 'It hurts' - Dominik Szoboszlai sends emotional message after Liverpool star's World Cup heartbreakTo ship players off to the champions of England and Europe, in Liverpool and PSG, and the global behemoth that is Real Madrid is ample evidence they are getting it very right at the Vitality.Those three deals in particular raised close to £150m, while Dango Ouattarra was sold to Brentford for around £40m.And the next set of departures could be spearheaded by Semenyo, if he keeps up the sort of form he has shown since he became a Premier League player at Bournemouth less than three years ago.Liverpool's sporting director, Richard Hughes, will know all about the specifics of Semenyo's terms at the Vitality, having served at the club when the frontman joined for around £10m in January 2023 from Bristol City.And given the relationship that exists between the two clubs in recent years, it would be no surprise if Liverpool were looking long and hard at Semenyo's development, despite the historic £450m outlay of the summer months, when Hugo Ekitike, Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz were all brought in alongside Kerkez.For Bournemouth, interest from clubs the size of Liverpool is not actively discouraged and is, in fact, part of the brochure they sell to prospective players when trying to sign unheralded names from around the continent who have the potential to be polished into gems.Conventional wisdom dictates Bournemouth would be loath to lose their star men to the more traditional giants of the game but that just means they are making shrewd decisions when swimming in their own talent pools."When a club like Liverpool, Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain come in," says general manager Tim Bezbatchenko, "who are we to say: 'No, you can't fulfil your dream'?"Now, it's not the same for all clubs, because not all clubs are Real Madrid but that is what we're trying to find.

There is a culture of abundance."Bezbatchenko, who is a director of Black Knight Football Club, who own Bournemouth, adds to Business of Sport: "One of the biggest benefits of doing player trading and sending players to those clubs is the knock-on effect it has for our recruitment team."Because those players see there is pathway for them to realise their potential. So that is the consistent message from Thiago (Pinto, president of football operations) and Simon (Francis, sporting director) when they are talking with getting on phones and on meetings with players."And you're pitching [to] players, just like you do when recruiting a CEO or a VP of finance, you have to do interviews and you're talking to players and players want to hear what the plan is for them."What is their pathway?

But you have to do it year in and year out and this is the first summer where we've seen, not a test, but we've taken that step to being a club that is looking to sustain success while trading players and then acquiring new players."It's this way of thinking that has allowed Bournemouth to continue thriving as an upwardly mobile and emerging Premier League club, all while making huge profits on players who have shown they can cut it in the top flight of English football.And it's why Semenyo might just be set to see the already strong interest in him turned up several levels. Liverpool will likely be part of that conversation when it does.