It seems Manchester United were very serious about signing Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo this summer, with Ruben Amorim even taking the player out for a meal.

The Ghana international has shone for the Cherries and looks like he could surely secure a big six move before too long, but it didn’t quite happen for him this summer.

Semenyo was at one point linked with Man Utd, Liverpool and Tottenham by Sky Sports, but this never materialised into anything more concrete.

In the end, Semenyo stayed put at Bournemouth, with United instead signing Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo as their new attacking players.

Antoine Semenyo was aggressively targeted by Manchester United

Antoine Semenyo of Bournemouth (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

Still, it seems there was indeed very strong interest from United in Semenyo, according to the Transfers Podcast.

Speaking on the podcast, journalist Duncan Castles said that Amorim took Semenyo out for a meal to get a close look at his character, while there were also talks between United and Bournemouth chiefs.

However, it seems the Red Devils were not willing to pay more than £55m for the 25-year-old, and that might be why things didn’t end up getting more advanced.

In the end, Cunha and Mbeumo look like fine signings for MUFC, but one imagines a few fans will be disappointed that their club didn’t pay up for a talent like Semenyo.

What next for Antoine Semenyo?

Semenyo is sure to be on the list of big clubs like United, Liverpool and Spurs again soon if he carries on performing at such a high level for Bournemouth.

The Cherries have often had to sell their best players, with Dean Huijsen leaving for a big profit during the last transfer window.

Semenyo could be the next star name to watch out for there, and United fans will surely be keeping an especially close eye on him after this story.