Antoine Semenyo looks set to be the latest player to be swooped up by one of the Premier League’s ‘big six’ sides, with Man City reportedly close to signing the Bournemouth winger for a fee of £65 million.
The 25-year-old isn’t the only player outside of the European place that is having a great season, however, and there will likely be plenty of attention in those big fish in relatively smaller ponds.
So, here are three players we believe could be the ‘next Semenyo’ and make big money moves in the not-so-distant future.
3. Iliman Ndiaye – Everton
Like Semenyo, Ndiaye is a remarkably versatile forward, capable of playing anywhere behind the striker, but has primarily been used as a right winger now that Jack Grealish is about to play on the left.
The Everton man isn’t quite as productive in front of goal as Semenyo, with four goals and two assists in his 16 Premier League games, but in Ndiaye’s defence, he’s not playing in as attacking a set-up as his Bournemouth counterpart.
Ndiaye thrives with the ball at his feet. A high-volume dribbler, having completed 34 in the Premier League already this season, his close control and sharp burst of pace make him a nightmare for any opposition defender to deal with.
There were reports that Man City were interested in signing Ndiaye, but now Pep Guardiola’s side are in for Semenyo, that move feels unlikely. Everton would command a high price for whichever side comes in for one of their star men.
2. Yankuba Minteh – Brighton
Brighton are well known for finding those diamonds in the rough and selling them for huge profits. Moises Caicedo to Chelsea remains the biggest deal in the club’s history, but it probably won’t be the last £100 million+ sale we see.
The deal to sign Minteh was unorthodox, but in the ‘scouted him for a year while he was playing in the Slovenian second division’ kinda way. Newcastle were in trouble with PSR, and after Minteh had an impressive season on loan at Feyenoord, Brighton decided to help them out.
Minteh has a lot of ability but is still incredibly raw. His lack of consistency is his biggest flaw, in some games he’s the best player on the pitch, in others, completely anonymous. Still, he’s the youngest player on this list at 21-years-old so there is plenty of time to work on that.
Despite that, he remains one of Brighton’s most creative players having created 28 chances, completed 19 crosses, and 44 successful dribbles. Expect Chelsea to make a move some time soon.
1. Kevin Schade – Brentford
Brentford, Brighton, and Bournemouth are all very similar clubs, and we’re not talking about the fact they all start with B. Each club takes a very methodical approach to recruitment, knowing that some of the players they sign may not be there for long, but will hopefully make a tidy profit.
It was a summer of upheaval for the West London club, not only did they lose Thomas Frank, but they also lost Bryan Mbeumo and Yoanne Wissa, they’re two most productive attacking players.
Igor Thiago has stepped up to replace Wissa, and Schade looks like the man they needed to step into Mbeumo’s boots. With six goals and one assist in his 18 Premier League games, he’s the closest in terms of goals scored to Semenyo (9).
His performance in the 4-1 win over Bournemouth was a standout. Schade was remarkably clinical, scoring a hattrick from six total shots, and 50 touches, nine of which were in the opposition box. Like the other two, there could be some movement for the 24-year-old.