Cole urges Chelsea to sign top Liverpool target as ‘a no-brainer’ but jokes ‘he might be too old’

Former Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole has urged the Blues to beat Liverpool and Manchester United to the signing of Antoine Semenyo in January.

Only Liverpool spent more money than Chelsea in the summer transfer window with Enzo Maresca’s side splashing out on more than £280m worth of talent.

Despite that, there are rumours that third-placed Chelsea are looking to spend once again in the January market as they look to solidify their good start to the Premier League season.

Cole reckons Bournemouth winger Semenyo would be a great addition amid rumours that Liverpool and Man Utd are looking to make winter bids for the Ghana international.

The Athletic‘s David Ornstein revealed earlier this week that Semenyo has a £65m release clause with Bournemouth helpless in the winter if a club triggers it.

And now Cole reckons it’s “a no-brainer” for Chelsea to make the move, although he joked the 25-year-old could be too old for the Blues’ transfer policy.

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Cole told Paddy Power: “Knowing Chelsea, he might be too old! I’d have to check his age, but from a football perspective, if he’s available and he wants to come, it’s a no-brainer in terms of bringing him into the football club.

“With Chelsea’s model, there’ll be a financial element and evaluation element to it, so it’ll come down to that.

“He’d be a welcome addition to the Chelsea squad, and he probably starts, because he’s been superb for Bournemouth.”

A frustrated Bournemouth head coach Andoni Iraola didn’t want to talk about Semenyo potentially leaving in January when we are currently in November.

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Iraola promised to talk about it nearer the time and insisted that Semenyo “will continue being our player” ahead of their match against West Ham on Saturday.

Iraola said in his press conference on Friday: “We are in November. Antoine is our player, he will continue being our player. In January, you can ask me about the market in January, but right now I’m not worried about the next markets.

“It’s something that especially you know that I hate to talk about in August, January, the moments when the market is open, but it is not one of those moments. It’s November.

“I’m more worried about the situation of the players to play tomorrow, the short-term, the things that really matter and in January, we will talk about whatever happens, the players we need. But it is not something that I’m worried about today.”