Antoine Semenyo latest: Liverpool ‘serious’ rivals to Manchester City but Pep Guardiola expects major ‘boost’

Liverpool have emerged as serious contender for Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo, the latest report has claimed.

The Reds claimed three points when they beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-1 on Saturday, and that extended their unbeaten streak to seven games.

After spending in the region of £450m in the summer, it is still disappointing that the club are fourth in the table with 32 points, 10 fewer than league-leaders Arsenal.

Manchester City look like they are best positioned to challenge the Gunners given the two-point gap to first, and if they activate reported target Semenyo's £65m release clause, then their chances of clinching first place would undoubtedly increase.

However, The Daily Mail claim that Liverpool are now serious rivals for the winger's signature, though City are still hoping to wrap up a deal before the opening of the transfer window on Thursday.

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The decision to target Semenyo would almost certainly have been driven by the injury to Alexander Isak, who is set to be sidelined for months.

Semenyo is able to operate across the forward line, and his addition could be key if the Reds have any ambitions of getting back into the title race.

The club have recently sacrificed offensive output for defensive solidity, with the Merseysiders only producing four shots on target in each of their last four games, whereas they had generated 25 shots on target in their prior four.

Arne Slot would have to deploy a more adventurous style of play to get the most from Semenyo, and it remains to be seen if Liverpool would be able to cope defensively if they took more risks.

Manchester City January transfer window: Why Guardiola needs Semenyo

City's pursuit of Semenyo might seem odd considering they currently rank as the division's leading scorers (43), but the 25-year-old offers qualities than none of the squad's forwards possess.

Attackers like Phil Foden and Rayan Cherki are excellent in small spaces, where they often look to combine before attempting to play through to Erling Haaland, but they are not particularly adept at making runs in behind or offering a threat in open spaces.

Semenyo would allow Guardiola to use a more direct style of play, and a varied tactical approach could benefit them significantly heading into the second half of the season.

Arsenal are not likely to drop many points, and perhaps the best way to catch them would be to strengthen their attacking ranks, an area of weakness for the Gunners.