BBC – Football can often deliver fairytale moments – and at the Vitality Stadium on Wednesday it served one up as Antoine Semenyo brought the curtain down on his Bournemouth career in perfect fashion.
The forward, who is on the verge of joining Manchester City, provided yet another telling contribution for the Cherries when he struck in the final few minutes against Tottenham to end his side’s 11-match run without a Premier League win.
It was his 10th goal of the season and arguably one of his most memorable – certainly in terms of the context of the match and how dramatic the strike was, and to complete the magical moment it also came on his 26th birthday.
It also meant he could get the dream send-off as Semenyo was substituted with seconds left, allowing him to soak up the adulation from the home supporters as well as applaud them back.
“If that is to be his last involvement for Bournemouth there is no better way for it to go,” Semenyo’s Bournemouth team-mate Marcus Tavernier told Sky Sports.
“That was the type of stuff you write in movies and no man deserves it more than him.”
Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola effectively confirmed Semenyo’s departure after the game, but praised his commitment and attitude right up until his final moment in a Cherries shirt.
“That was lovely for Antoine,” he said. “Sometimes football gives you these things.
“He has been top – he has given everything and been committed until the end. I think it is good football gives him back this moment.”
How much will Bournemouth miss Semenyo?
There are no two ways about it, Semenyo is going to be a big loss for Bournemouth.
He has been their biggest goal threat this season by some distance – scoring 41% of their goals in the Premier League and having the most shots of any Bournemouth player with 49, an impressive 27 of those on target.
“He will be a big miss with his quality but also the person he is in the changing room,” added Tavernier.
“If that is to be his last moment we definitely have to find something else going forward.”
Iraola added that it will be more than just goals they will miss when Semenyo departs.
“He has been if not the best, one of the best I have coached,” he told BBC Sport.
“He has improved every single season. He has scored 10 goals in half a season and he’s not even a number nine.
“It is not just the numbers but a lot of things – the physicality, the balls in the air and the defensive things. He will be a big miss.”
Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy praised the way Semenyo has gone about things while talk of a move to Manchester City dominated the media.
“He has shown great mental strength – he has played every game and not made a fuss,” he said on Match of the Day.
“He deserves great credit for how he has conducted himself, and to score a winning goal on his last appearance – if it is his last appearance – what a way to go.”
‘Generational talent’ Kroupi to help soften blow?
Semenyo will make the headlines, but another player who scored against Spurs might soften the blow of his impending departure.
Teenager Eli Junior Kroupi, 19, has emerged as an exciting glimpse of the future for the Cherries as he continued a dream debut Premier League season with Bournemouth‘s second goal on Wednesday.
That was his seventh of the season, making him the highest-scoring teenager in Europe’s top five leagues.
Kroupi is not a like-for-like replacement for Semenyo, who is often deployed in a wider role, while Kroupi plays just behind striker Evanilson.
But certainly in terms of goals he is looking the most likely player to plug the gap.
He has scored just three fewer goals than Semenyo, but has played considerably fewer minutes than the latter – 574 compared to 1,798.
Kroupi’s team-mates are full of praise for the teenager, with Tavernier recently describing him as a “generational talent”, adding: “The club has done an amazing job to pick Kroupi up.
“That boy has an unbelievable future ahead of him.”
Who could arrive to replace Semenyo?
Unsurprisingly, Bournemouth have been linked with a number of players who could potentially fill the Semenyo-shaped hole, and Iraola confirmed after the win against Spurs that the club are working hard on sourcing reinforcements.
“We know we are very thin on numbers but I know the club is also working,” he said.
“We will have to be patient in this January market. I hope we can add more players.
“I try to analyse and explain to the club and we have a very good relationship. They understand what we need but it is not easy in the January market because nobody wants to lose players.
“I am sure the club will try to sign the best players they can.”
Leicester City winger Abdul Fatawu has been linked., external
He has contributed to 15 goals this season for the Foxes, who are determined not to let him leave this month.
Another player performing well in the Championship who is also a reported target, external is Stoke City’s Sorba Thomas.
The Wales winger is the club’s top scorer with nine league goals, while he has also provided six assists.
Germany winger Jamie Leweling, who plays for Stuttgart, has also been linked., external
How well do Bournemouth replace their stars?
Semenyo will be the latest big-money departure from Bournemouth, who over the past two seasons have sold the likes of Dominic Solanke to Tottenham for £65m, Milos Kerkez to Liverpool for £40m, Dean Huijsen to Real Madrid for £50m, Illia Zabarnyi to Paris St-Germain for £57m and Dango Ouattara to Brentford for £42.5m.
But Iraola has generally done well with minimising the impact of such departures.
Despite losing three key defenders last summer, players like left-back Adrien Truffert and defender Marcos Senesi came in and played superbly to help ensure the Cherries made their best start to a Premier League season.
While their form dropped off considerably after that, Semenyo’s likely final contribution to the club will ensure they have a positive platform to build on.
And in Kroupi, the early indications are that he could well be the next player Bournemouth make a significant profit on when the time does come for him to move on.
