Former Liverpool and Manchester United striker Paul Ince has urged Antoine Semenyo to hold fire until the summer transfer window rather than making a January switch away from Bournemouth. The 58-year-old reckons a Premier League top-four finish will decide which of his former clubs emerges victorious in the tussle.

Semenyo, 25, has been instrumental under Andoni Iraola, bagging 18 goals and registering eight assists in the top-flight since the start of the 2024/25 season. This stellar form has sparked speculation about a winter departure, with a reported £65million release clause in place and Liverpool amongst several clubs supposedly monitoring his situation.

Nevertheless, the player has been cautioned against rushing into any rash decisions during the current campaign.

Speaking to the Covers.com World Cup betting team, Ince remarked: “I was surprised that Liverpool or Manchester United didn’t sign Antoine Semenyo at the start of the season, because he’s a top player.

“He should wait until the summer transfer window to make a move. January isn’t a great time to move and clubs often don’t like parting with players midway through a season.

“I don’t see him staying put beyond the summer though. Bournemouth are great at sourcing players from all over the world, but ultimately they’ve always been a selling club.

“He’ll have plenty of options on the table. He’s got all the attributes to improve even more too; he’s great on both feet, strong, quick and can bag you plenty of goals, as we’ve seen so far this year.”

Liverpool currently occupy seventh position in the Premier League standings. Speculation linking them with Semenyo emerges whilst Mohamed Salah’s Anfield future beyond January remains uncertain, with Cody Gakpo’s recent injury further highlighting the Reds’ attacking concerns.

The Merseyside club are level on points with sixth-placed arch-rivals United, who began this campaign hoping to secure European qualification under manager Ruben Amorim’s first complete season at the helm.

The Old Trafford outfit have similarly been connected with the Ghanaian forward. Ince believes whichever club can guarantee Champions League football next term will triumph in the pursuit.

“In terms of whether he’ll move to Liverpool or Man Utd, it depends on which one will finish in the top four and have Champions League football to look forward to next season,” he added.

“If I were in his position, I’d stay put for now at Bournemouth until the end of the season, and see which one of those teams finishes in the top four.”

Meanwhile, Iraola has provided insight into how Semenyo has handled the transfer rumours surrounding his future.

“Obviously, when you hear your name every day in the news, you have to deal with these situations,” he stated. “But I think he’s committed and I haven’t seen a lot of changes in him.”