Reports that Bristol City star Antoine Semenyo has left the Ghana camp to pursue a move away from Ashton Gate are wide of the mark, Bristol Live understands.
Instead, Semenyo has an injury and has withdrawn from the Kirin Cup semi-final against Japan as a precaution.
Several reports from Ghana claimed on Friday the 22-year-old had been allowed to leave the Black Stars squad and return to England to seal a transfer to an unnamed club, but the forward is understood to have suffered a shin injury.
Semenyo was outstanding for the Robins last season, racking up eight goals and 12 assists in 31 Championship games, naturally making him one of the most coveted talents outside the top flight.
Chelsea have been interested in the past and Premier League new boys Nottingham Forest had a bid turned down in January in January, with the Robins braced for more offers this summer. The club's financial position may tempt City to sell Semenyo in the upcoming transfer window, which opens next week, but claims that the dynamic forward's exit is imminent are premature.
City are not without power in the situation. The player has a year remaining on his contract, plus the club holds a one-year option. Coupled with the sense that Semenyo is unlikely to agitate for a move, the Robins can set their price high – £20million was quoted in January – and make plans to have him involved when the new campaign kicks off at the end of July.
City manager Nigel Pearson is relaxed about the situation. He told BBC Radio Bristol last month: "I don’t spend too much time worrying about that. I think we will, in time, have decisions to make on him but hopefully he’ll be here this year.
“Would I stand in his way of going to top a Premier League side? Absolutely not. But it would have to be the right deal for us, as a team. As a football club, the financial offset for losing someone like Antoine is going to be considerable and people need to be aware of that.
“We don’t want to be a selling club, we want to keep our best player, of course we do, but the reality of where we are is there are times when that stance will be stretched and it will be questioned, and what we have to do is make the right decision for us as a football club.
"We’ll have a better chance of succeeding next year if Antoine is here.“But if he goes somewhere he’s going to be expensive for somebody.”
Semenyo made his debut for Ghana on Wednesday, coming on as a 76th-minute substitute in the win over Madagascar.
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