Chelsea will not sign Antoine Semenyo despite making an inquiry for the Bournemouth striker.
The Blues expressed their interest on Tuesday, but believe they have enough strength in depth across the front line.
Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool are interested in Semenyo, with the striker having a release clause of £65m. in his contract, which becomes active on January 1.
Man Utd and Man City are still ahead of other clubs and remain neck-and-neck for his signature.
Ruben Amorim described Semenyo as a “special player” ahead of the game against Bournemouth, where the Ghana international scored in a 4-4 draw.
But Liverpool remain interested and are believed to be considering their options in the wake of Alexander Isak’s injury.
Spurs were interested in the Bournemouth striker during the summer and earlier this season, but are moving on to other targets and are out of the running.
Semenyo, 25, has scored eight Premier League goals this season, including in Bournemouth’s last two games.
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FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from Bournemouth’s Premier League draw with Burnley as Antoine Semenyo scores for Cherries
‘Chelsea is so well-stocked in the forward department’
Sky Sports News’ chief correspondent Kaveh Solhekol:
“The feeling at Chelsea is that they are very well stocked in the forward departments, especially out wide.
“You have to remember they have signed so many wide forwards in the last 12 months – Jamie Gittens, Alejandro Garnacho, Estevao, Joao Pedro, Liam Delap and Pedro Neto.
“And they have players who come in the summer, don’t forget, like Geovany Quenda from Sporting, Strasbourg striker Emmanuel Emegha.
“And so it was just a case of Chelsea looking at it and deciding not to take it any further or they got the feeling that the player had just decided he wanted to go somewhere else.”
Iraola: Things happen beyond our control
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Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola admits he is uncertain about Antoine Semenyo’s future at the club but says he wants to keep his star player.
Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola on Semenyo’s future:
“Antoine Semenyo is with us right now. He is playing very well. My concern is that it does not affect him. He has played very well, he is committed to the team and I hope we can keep him. Things happen outside of our control.
“Antoine has performed very well. The level of consistency has been very good since the beginning of the season. He is very valuable to us – not just the numbers, but many things.
“You never know what’s going to happen. In the summer there were a lot of moves. I don’t know what’s going to happen in the winter moves.
“At the end of the day, you sign a contract and understand that both parties are happy. I hope we don’t lose him, but I don’t know, I can’t control what’s going to happen.”
Semenyo’s Bournemouth teammate, Justin Kluivert, also told Sky Sports news: “He has shown how good he is. He is a top player. He is one of the best attacking players in the Premier League.
“He doesn’t let it get to his head, which is a very positive aspect. We talk about all these things that come to him and he stays down to earth. He gives Bournemouth 100 per cent every day and that says a lot about him.”
Antoine Semenyo celebrates after scoring for Bournemouth
Merse urges Spurs to complete ‘statement’ from Semenyo
Despite ending their pursuit of Semenyo, Paul Merson believes Tottenham are the perfect fit for Semenyo and has called on Thomas Frank to complete the “statement” signing of the Bournemouth winger.
“Tottenham. They need to make a real key signing that will kick them off. They have a wage structure at Tottenham and don’t pay really big money but this could kick-start them,” he said on Sky Sports.
“For me I think Tottenham would be the one. It would be a statement for Tottenham; it would kick-start them moving forward for the next five or 10 years.
“Hit a few other clubs for him. He wants to play every week and wants to play football. You get the consistency of playing week in and week out.
“But I think he suits them. Chelsea already have plenty of wingers, [Alejandro] Garnacho, [Pedro] net, [Jamie] Gittens and Estevao. Plus, he’s 26, I don’t see the sales.
“At Man Utd he wants to play wing-back. It’s not his favorite position. He doesn’t want to play wing-back.
“Man City, how long will Pep Guardiola be there? You sign a four-year deal and the manager leaves at the end of the season, which means the new manager wants him to play.
“Liverpool, maybe, but then you take Mohamed Salah’s place.”
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Paul Merson believes Antoine Semenyo would fit in well at Spurs over clubs such as Manchester United and Liverpool.
Carragher: Semenyo could be a good way around the Isak injury
Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher on how Liverpool are handling Alexander Isak’s injury:
“One thing is certain now, Mo Salah is staying at the club. There’s a good chance Harvey Elliott would also come back from Aston Villa.
“Whether Liverpool go for a striker or another striker like Semenyo, who Liverpool have also been heavily linked with, we all know he has a January release clause.
“Then you have wide players, as in Salah and Gakpo, who have also played many games through the middle. You have young Jayden Danns.
“That’s the way they could get around it because I don’t think Liverpool, when you go back a few years when they had a real problem at centre-back, they didn’t go and spend big money on someone they didn’t want.
“They don’t want to go out and buy a striker they don’t really want. If they want Semenyo, that’s probably a good way around it.”