Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe has heaped praise on Ghana international Antoine Semenyo following the forward’s high-profile move to Manchester City, describing him as a significant signing ahead of their Carabao Cup semifinal clash.
Speaking ahead of Tuesday night’s first-leg encounter at St James’ Park, Howe acknowledged the quality City have added to their squad with the capture of the former AFC Bournemouth attacker.
Semenyo completed a £64 million transfer to the Premier League champions earlier this month, committing to a five-and-a-half-year deal, a move that underlined City’s long-term faith in his abilities.
The 26-year-old wasted little time announcing himself at his new club, scoring a goal and providing an assist on debut in City’s emphatic 10-1 FA Cup fourth-round victory over Exeter City.
That performance has firmly put him in contention to feature against Newcastle, despite having already appeared in the Carabao Cup earlier this season with Bournemouth.
“Antoine’s had an incredible season. I’m a big admirer of his, and he scored on his debut, so fair play to him. I think Man City have signed a very, very good player,” Howe said.
Newcastle now face the immediate challenge of containing a confident Semenyo as they aim to secure an advantage in the first leg of the semifinal. Kick-off is scheduled for 20:00 GMT, with the return leg later this month as both sides pursue a spot at Wembley.
