Manchester City have reportedly taken another huge stride towards completing a big-money transfer for Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo. The Ghana international is expected to be on the move in the January window as there is a £65 million ($87m) clause in his contract with the Cherries that can be triggered by any of his many suitors. He could soon be heading to the Etihad Stadium.Semenyo has been attracting plenty of interest, with Manchester United another heavyweight outfit that are said to have the talented 25-year-old on their radar. A move to Liverpool has also been mooted amid the uncertainty regarding Mohamed Salah’s future at Anfield.City have, however, surged to the front of the queue and are ready to push an agreement through early in 2026. Pep Guardiola’s squad is already loaded with attacking talent, but another proven Premier League performer is poised to join the ranks in Manchester.Ben Jacobs reports that “Semenyo's move to Manchester City from Bournemouth is now agreed in principle”. He goes on to say that the two clubs are “in process of drafting paperwork”. It is claimed that further “clarity” on a proposed switch is “expected in the next 24 hours”.City appear set to win the race for a much sought-after signature, but Guardiola has continued to play cards close to his chest when it comes to Semenyo. He told reporters when last asked about a proposed deal: “I don't know any news about anything right now. I'm sorry, I don't have any news. So the transfer window is completely closed right now.”Semenyo has registered nine goals for Bournemouth this season, having hit 13 last term. He is fully aware of the noise that he continues to generate, but has been doing his best to turn a deaf ear to it.The Chelsea-born star, who started out at Bristol City, has said of his future: “I don't think about it too much. I try to stay present as much as I can. You see the news all the time, I see it as well, I'm not oblivious, but I try to keep focused. I'm enjoying my football here. If I'm not scoring goals, all of that goes away. I try to stay present, do the best I can for the team, score goals and whatever happens in the future happens.”Looking for smarter football bets? Get expert previews, data-driven predictions & winning insights with GOAL Tips on Telegram. Join our growing community now!Bournemouth are set to make a sizeable profit on Semenyo, having acquired him in January 2023 for £10m ($13m). They will not, however, be parting with their prized asset without a fight. Cherries boss Andoni Iraola remains adamant that his club have not seen the last of their talismanic winger.He told reporters following a 2-2 draw at Chelsea to end 2025, with a home date against table-topping Arsenal next on the agenda: “Antoine is performing very well, and I’m expecting him to be available also in the next game for us too. I hope he continues playing the same way. There is a lot of noise around him, but my worry as a coach is that he can keep up the performance level he is having.”Iraola added: “It's not his last game here with us. I cannot say 100% but I think he will play [against Arsenal]. He has to recover, we’ve played two difficult games in three days. We have Arsenal at home, we get ready for another one, a demanding game against the leaders. Definitely he’s going to be an important player for us.”Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reportingThat matter could be taken out of Iraola’s hands, with Bournemouth being left with little choice but to cash in if the release clause in Semenyo’s contract is taken up. City are ready to pay the going rate, making it likely that a deal will be pushed through.All of the relevant paperwork may not be completed in time for Semenyo to line up for his new side in their next outing, at home to managerless Chelsea on Sunday, but they will be eager to make sure that no risks are taken on his fitness when Bournemouth play host to Arsenal - meaning that a farewell to the south coast may already have been bid.