Here’s why Antoine Semenyo is READY to join Liverpool

Liverpool could very well be looking to sign a left-winger this summer and here's why Antoine Semenyo is the perfect choice.

During the January transfer window, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was a player the Reds considered bringing in. Last summer, Anthony Gordon was also on Liverpool's agenda.

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As the future of Luis Diaz looms at the club, as revealed exclusively by Anfield Watch, it's clear Richard Hughes is considering players who could potentially replace the Colombian.

One player who keeps being mentioned is Antoine Semenyo. Most recently, Chris Basscome writing for The Guardian revealed Liverpool's scouts have been following the Bournemouth winger closely.

It should be no surprise, given just over two years ago it was Richard Hughes, then at Bournemouth, who spotted the potential in Semenyo and signed him for the Cherries from Bristol City.

Since then, Semenyo has established himself as one of the best players at the club and among the best wingers in the Premier League.

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As someone living in Newport, I've kept my eyes on Semenyo ever since his brilliant loan spell for Newport County back in the 2018/19 season.

He arrived as a striker from Bristol City but the decision was made to play him as a winger instead and that paid dividends. Semenyo started to cause problems to opposition defenders and showcased the raw and exciting potential that everyone had overlooked at academy level.

He particularly caught the eye in the FA Cup, tormenting Premier League side Leicester City to help Newport pull off a massive upset and win the game. Semenyo completed three out of four dribbles in that match, before going onto completing eight out of nine dribbles against Middlesbrough in the next round.

Only a teenager at the time, Semenyo had been rejected by a number of clubs. Yet Bristol City took a punt on him and developed him into a top prospect, with that loan spell at Newport playing a crucial role in his development.

He's gone on to play at the World Cup for Ghana and now this season he's showing he's ready for a move to Liverpool, too.

Semenyo has 17 goal contributions in all competitions for Bournemouth this season. But what's more exciting about him are the underlying numbers.

Impressively, Semenyo has taken the second most shots (114) in the Premier League this season behind only Mohamed Salah (116).

But unlike the Egyptian who gets around 48% of his shots on target, Semenyo averages just 32.1%.

At first glance this, would be a concern. However, looking at Semenyo's shot selection, over 70% of his last 75 shots are taken in and around zone 14 and zone 17 - the hot-spots where the most goals are scored on the pitch.

He's not necessarily making the wrong choices. He's simply been unlucky not to score more. With the right coaching, this can definitely be improved.

Simply by playing with better players, the chances are that Semenyo will score more goals. And taking a looking at Semenyo's previous seasons, the numbers would suggest his finishing will improve.

Last season he averaged 42% of his shots on target. Meanwhile, during the 2022/23 campaign in the Championship, he managed 43% of his shots on target.

But it's not just his goal-scoring that makes him the perfect choice for Liverpool. Sure, Slot will want output but he also wants players on the wing who thrive in one vs one situations and who will work hard out of possession.

Semenyo leads key metrics in the Premier League among wingers for both.

As per Wyscout, out of players who average at least five dribbles per 90 minutes in Premier League this season, Semenyo has the best success rate. He completes a whopping 68.39% of his 5.07 attempted dribblers per 90 minutes.

In Slot's system, Semenyo would become a huge asset. His ability to thrive in tight areas and create spaces for his teammates by beating one or two defenders will open up more openings for Liverpool's future no.9 and Mohamed Salah to do what they best.

It would also give Liverpool another asset to breakdown opposition teams who play with a low defensive block.

On top of this, Semenyo provides the out of possession defensive work-rate required in Slot's pressing system. He has won the most possessions in the opposition's final third this season (33).

No Premier League forward has averaged more blocked passes per 90 minutes than Semenyo (1.5 per 90).

He's become an integral part of Bournemouth's pressing game and has flourished in this area of his game, even though he has inadvertently picked up a lot of fouls in the process and nine yellow cards.

But this is all part of the main objective - disrupting the opposition's offensive flow. Semenyo does this exceptionally, well.Much will depend on whether Diaz will indeed be on the move this summer. If the Colombian stays, signing a left-winger will not be a priority.

However, if he leaves, Hughes will have to consider Liverpool's options and Semenyo is probably the perfect choice. He suits Slot's style of play and the numbers would suggest he could explode playing in the Dutchman's system alongside the likes of Salah and co.

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Having watched him closely since his time at Newport, I'm confident he's ready for the step-up to Anfield and I think he would be a huge asset for the Reds.