Antoine Semenyo was the preferred transfer target for Tottenham Hotspur going into the January transfer market, but it does not matter how much Spurs want a player if that player has zero interest in joining the club.
As many Spurs supporters had already suspected, it appears Semenyo has no intention of playing for the North London club that rivals his childhood fandom for Arsenal. But instead of having the rug pulled out from under them at the last second, Spurs now know well before the market opens that they do not stand a chance at signing Semenyo against Manchester United, Liverpool, and Manchester City.
The search for alternatives probably will not be a length one, though. Tottenham were already taking long looks at Savinho from Manchester City before the last summer transfer window closed, though Savinho was not available at that time since Man City were reluctant to give up winger depth with Rodrygo Goes unwilling to join them from Real Madrid.
The cost will be eye watering for Tottenham
But if Semenyo goes to Man City, Savinho would be readily available. Omar Marmoush is another potential option Tottenham fans have been hoping for as a goal scoring winger, but when asked about the Egyptian star's availability, top Tottenham transfer journalist Paul O Keefe simply stated that Savinho is the one to watch "more" of the Manchester City star forwards.
That makes sense, and Spurs supporters would be prepared for that. But maybe some fans won't be prepared for the other thing O Keefe said. Later on in the thread, the reporter was asked about the likely cost to purchase the Brazilian standout, and he stated that it would likely take a bid of around 70 million pounds to sway the Citizens.
While that is pretty much around the figure that was thrown about during the summer, it is still a bit jarring to see that Savinho, who barely starts for Manchester City right now, will be more expensive than Antoine Semenyo this winter. Sure, Semenyo plays for the smaller club in Bournemouth and has a set release clause, but, still, he's been a legitimate Premier League Player of the Season candidate whereas Savinho has been pretty awful in the league.
There is also the matter that Savinho is a dynamic left footer who is not known for his goal scoring and plays better on the right than the left. He can actually play at a high level on the left as a true touchline winger, but then that's not how Tottenham will play at their best with a more well rounded striker like Randal Kolo Muani in the middle and Mohammed Kudus already having both the wide playmaker and right footed left winger roles down pat. So Savinho will be costlier than Semenyo and a less ideal fit, but, well, since Semenyo does not want to join, Spurs are the beggers and not the choosers here.