Siriki Dembele linked with Birmingham City move from AFC Bournemouth

BirminghamLive are reporting the winger is set to sign for the Blues on a permanent deal from Cherries.

Dembele has fallen out of favour at Cherries and did not travel with the first-team squad to Marbella for their pre-season training camp.

The 26-year-old arrived at Cherries from Peterborough United in January 2022 for a fee of around £1.5million.

He helped the club clinch promotion from the Championship, but a year after joining departed on loan to link up with French club Auxerre until the end of the season.

Dembele now looks set for a permanent exit from Cherries, where he has scored two goals in 22 appearances. Only four of those outings came as a starter.

Second-tier Birmingham were previously interested in Dembele last year, but the former Grimsby Town man instead wanted to join Cherries.

Cherries have already sold Ben Pearson this summer and appear happy for Jamal Lowe to also depart, the striker currently training with the development squad.

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A January signing from Bristol City, the attacker missed Cherries’ last three Premier League games with an issue that was first described as a leg complaint.

It soon transpired that the best course of action was for the Ghanian international to go under the knife, meaning Semenyo’s first pre-season with Cherries has looked vastly different to how he would have imagined.

However, despite the setback, the forward remains upbeat, revealing he had returned to the grass out in Spain.

Quizzed about pre-season by teammate Jaidon Anthony for Cherries’ website, Semenyo shared: “It’s great at the moment.

“I feel like I’m progressing well on the pitch now, doing ball work as well, so I’m progressing really well and hopefully training with the boys soon, so I can’t wait.”

The 23-year-old admitted it hadn’t all been plain sailing, especially in the Spanish heat, continuing: “Really tough at the moment, to be honest.

“I can’t lie to you.

“Just, three or four days ago, started running.

“So, yeah, I’m finding it tough, but I’m adapting and I know it’ll be beneficial for when I’m back playing and training.”

Frustratingly for Semenyo, his last pre-season with Bristol City was also curtailed by a shin issue which was picked up whilst on international duty with Ghana.

Asked by Anthony if this had been his hardest pre-season to date, Semenyo replied: “I think it’s my toughest one, to be honest.

“The last two years, I haven’t been able to travel and do preseason, so I feel like this is definitely top of the rank. It’s been hard in the gym, on the bike, and that’s how I running as well, like I said.

“I think I’m screwed on, so I’m taking every day how it comes and making sure that I sleep well and I’m prepared for the next session.”