Ghana international Antoine Semenyo has revealed that a personal promise from Pep Guardiola was a key factor behind his £65 million move to Manchester City, saying the Spaniard’s commitment to improving his game made the decision an easy one.
The 26-year-old completed his blockbuster switch from Bournemouth during the January transfer window after City won the race for his signature ahead of Premier League rivals Manchester United, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea.
Speaking to the BBC, Semenyo said City’s interest began in December, when initial discussions were held before he eventually decided to make the move to the Etihad Stadium the following month.
The Black Stars forward also paid tribute to Bournemouth, crediting the south coast club for playing a major role in his Premier League development and helping him become one of the division’s most sought-after attackers.
“I owe them everything, to be honest,” Semenyo said. “They helped my Premier League career flourish and obviously the management, the staff behind the scenes, they were all amazing; they made everything so smooth.”
Semenyo enjoyed the best season of his career, scoring 21 goals for club and country while playing a key role in City’s domestic success.
He scored the decisive goal in the FA Cup final victory over Chelsea, describing the moment as a “dream come true,” and also helped the club win the Carabao Cup.
Explaining why he chose Manchester City over other top clubs, Semenyo said Guardiola’s vision for his future had a major influence on his decision.
“I think for me, I just wanted the next step to be the big one and Manchester City was the option. Pep spoke to me beforehand, and he said, ‘look, when you come, I am going to make you a better player.’
“You want to get better, you want to improve every season, and he definitely helped me with that in the first five months, but obviously sad for him to leave,” he added.
Although Guardiola has since left the club, Semenyo believes the former City manager played an important role in his development during their short time together.
The Ghana forward won two domestic trophies under Guardiola before the appointment of Enzo Maresca as head coach.
Semenyo has already started positively under Maresca, providing an assist in Manchester City’s pre-season defeat to Inter Milan in Hong Kong on Saturday as he continues preparations for the new campaign.
