From a financial perspective, well-placed sources insist interested clubs are all willing to pay a very similar remuneration package to Semenyo, whose final decision will be made with an emphasis on his personal sporting ambitions.
He turns 26 on 7 January and there is a recognition he is entering the prime of his career.
“I know there is lots of noise around him,” said Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola. “[It is] not my concern, my concern is it doesn’t affect his performances. It is not doing, he is very committed to the team and I hope we can keep him here.
“[A] situation we cannot control, but Antoine right now is our player, going to continue playing for us. If you ask me, I don’t want to lose him, definitely don’t. But every time the market opens, you never know what is going to happen.”
With that in mind, it is understood Semenyo will prioritise a club he believes can provide him with what he views as the most suitable project to compete for major trophies on a long-term basis.
The location and impact on his family will also be a contributing factor to his decision and it is understood he does not want the saga to become a long drawn-out process.
Since Amorim’s arrival, he has attempted to get United playing his specific system, rarely straying away from his philosophy.
By taking a system-first approach, Amorim looks for specific qualities from his players in each position, asking them to adapt to what he wants, rather than altering his system to fit the players at his disposal.
Looking at his system and what he wants from his midfielders may help explain how he navigates the next few months.
Amorim opts for a 3-2-4-1 shape that does not rely on having the majority of the ball.
At the start of his tenure, Amorim looked to build-up short, but to his credit has opted to play long from the keeper more often – which suits the players he has. This requires players able to cover distance and win second balls.
His side are asked to carry out passing routines too with patterns of play often ending in United’s midfielders playing through-balls over the top for attackers running in behind.
The midfield duo therefore need to be able to carry out these instructions.
Amorim’s preferred midfield duo of Casemiro and Fernandes provides clues to what he asks from his midfielders.
Casemiro’s role is more positionally strict – screening the defence, breaking up play and getting up and down the pitch to close the distance between defence and attack when the ball is played long.
Fernandes is given licence to contribute in attack but, like Casemiro, has the ability to run hard up and down the pitch, getting back to defend when needed.
Both players have a tendency to play direct passes into attackers running in behind whilst taking few touches in midfield – qualities that fit Amorim’s tactical plan.
The other midfield options must therefore fit into either Casemiro or Fernandes’ roles, with Ugarte being the most likely back-up to Casemiro while Mount, Martinez and Mainoo possess some of the quality to do Fernandes’ job.
Given the constraints around the Africa Cup of Nations and United’s injuries, the other option is for Amorim to tweak his system.
This is not something he has done yet at Old Trafford, but – when asked about a shortage of wing-backs – he hinted he could, depending “on the way we play in that particular week, if we have to change for a back four, we change for a back four”.
The shortage of midfielders could force his hand in the same way.
If United are to move to four at the back, with three in midfield, the obvious player to benefit would be Mainoo.
The England man has struggled to displace either Casemiro or Fernandes given the specific tactical demands Amorim asks for in this system. And the United boss believes Mainoo’s strengths and weaknesses are more suited to a midfield three.
“The problem is that we are playing with two [midfielders] and you guys see Kobbie in a different way to what I am seeing,” he said.
“Maybe if you play with three midfielders, not with just two. But with three, Kobbie will have more minutes.”
Guardiola is known as a strict coach when it comes to player fitness levels and in 2016 exiled some of his squad from first-team training until they met certain weight targets.
Guardiola previously apologised to Kalvin Phillips after saying the City midfielder was “overweight” on his return from the 2022 Qatar World Cup.
City are two points behind Premier League leaders Arsenal, who beat Everton 1-0 on Saturday, and face Forest before an away fixture at Sunderland on New Year’s Day.
Guardiola said he had no problem with his squad’s fitness or running, but they simply “have to play better”.
“The players asked me to have tomorrow’s [Sunday’s] training session off and I said no, because they didn’t play well enough,” Guardiola said.
“So Sunday recovery, train the guys that didn’t play, and after three days off they have two days to prepare for Nottingham Forest.”
Guardiola added that it was important for his players to spend time with their families over the Christmas period.
“I’ve learned from England, since I arrived, as much days [where you can] have a day off, you give them,” he added.
“The schedule is so tight and the players have to forget. The moment of the game they will be fresh in the legs.”
Alternatively, you could head to Iglesia de Sant Felix – a church built in the Baroque style with three bells.
There is also the Mercado Central de Sabadell, which is the central market in Sabadell and is a great spot to pick up some souvenirs from local sellers.
The market has been used as a trading hub for centuries and today still is.
One recent visitor said: “Beautiful building outside and inside. There is a great selection of meat, fish, vegetables and breads.
“There are also some stalls offering cooked food and other ready to eat choices are also available.”
Another visitor said: “Very spacious inside allowing traders plenty of space to show off their fresh produce. The fruits stalls are eye catching.
“I had a cafe con leche and chocolate croissant at the bustling tapas bar.”
Another place to head to is Los Lavaderos de la Font Nova – these historic laundry rooms are part of the city’s heritage, but have been preserved and today tourists can see where people used to do their laundry in the 1830s.
Also make sure to head to Masia de Can Deu, which is a historic estate with a museum, rescued church and even a small farm.
Sabadell also makes a great base for heading off hiking as there are several trails nearby.
If you happen to be in Sabadell in September, make sure to visit Fiesta Mayor, where the city transforms into a lively destination with lots of music, fireworks, parades and carnival rides.
Or if you are in the city in December, head to City Hall, where for the first 24 days of the month an advent calendar is brought to life with a new light shining each day.
The annual tradition has a main character called El Llaminer, who is a fairytale-like figure made of sweets, who sings and tells a different story each evening.
Across the city, there are numerous places to grab a bite to eat including Maximmus Pizzeria Napoletana, which is the best rated spot on TripAdvisor.
There are even historic laundry rooms in the cityCredit: Wikipedia
The restaurant serves up freshly made pizzas, including ‘The peasant woman’ with sausage, artichoke, parmesan and oil for €16 (£13.97).
Alternatively, you could grab a ‘Quattro Formaggi’. which features four different cheese including parmesan, mozzarella, gorgonzola and provolone for €16.50 (£14.41).
There are a number of places to grab a tipple as well, such as These Wild Geese, Irish pub, where a cocktail will set you back just €7.30 (£6.37).
There are just a handful of hotels to choose from across the city, including Urban Sabadell which costs from £65 per night for two people.
Return flights to Barcelona in January cost from £34 per person.
Then to get to Sabadell, you can jump on a train or bus which takes about 40 minutes.
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca says reports describing him as a potential successor to Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola are “100% speculation”.
The 45-year-old is the former assistant to Guardiola at City and there have been multiple reports that his mentor could step down at the end of this season.
The Italian was appointed Chelsea manager in June 2024 and has a contract running until 2029, with an option to extend by a further season.
When asked whether there was any truth to the City reports, Maresca said: “It doesn’t affect me at all because I know that is 100% speculation. And at this moment, there is no time for these kind of things.
“First of all, because I have a contract here until 2029 probably. And my focus, I said many times, is just about this club and I’m very proud to be here. But again, it’s speculation. One week ago I was in Italy, the same with Juventus. So I don’t pay attention because I know that is not true.”
Fourth-placed Chelsea play Newcastle in the Premier League on Saturday at 12:30 GMT.
A remarkable, chaotic, mesmerising Premier League thriller at Old Trafford captured the imagination even of the clinical operators in the dugout.
“Really difficult to explain,” said Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola. “But I prefer 4-4 to 0-0.”
“Fun,” was Manchester United counterpart Ruben Amorim’s initial observation.
Analysing for Sky Sports, Jamie Carragher went further.
“The best game of the Premier League season so far,” said the former England and Liverpool defender. “It was almost a throwback to Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United with attacking football.
“It is the best I have seen Man Utd. For the majority of the game, they were absolutely fantastic.
“For the first time under Amorim – and first time in a long time – I felt like I was watching what Man Utd are supposed to be. Wave after wave attack, but the inability to defend has hurt them.”
For the record, Ferguson took charge of two games when United scored four and didn’t win.
The first was a significant factor in his side’s failure to win the 2012 title as United threw away a 4-2 lead and drew 4-4 with Everton at Old Trafford.
The other was Ferguson’s very last match, an extraordinary 5-5 draw at West Brom in 2013.
Amorim has a very long road ahead before he can be compared to Ferguson.
But at least, on a night when his side led twice in the first half, then fought back to get their noses in front again after conceding two in a matter of minutes at the start of the second, and finally had to settle for a point as Bournemouth finished the stronger, he understood what everyone had witnessed.
In a vibrant first half, the hosts’ had the highest non-penalty xG value (2.49), most shots (17) and joint-most touches in the opposition’s box (30) of any side in the opening 45 minutes of a Premier League match this season.
“If you understand a little bit,” Amorim said. “If you follow the club like I follow the Premier League for so long, you [know you] have not just the duty to try to win the games. The way you try to win the games is so important for the fans.
“Of course they are desperate to win, but also, I feel that they are desperate to be inspired when they come to Old Trafford.
“Today was inspiring, I think, also because of Bournemouth. But in the end that’s the feeling of frustration of not winning the game.”
