Liverpool don’t need Antoine Semenyo. Why would we sign him?

This is the noise doing the rounds online right now. That view is misplaced.

Liverpool do need Semenyo. In fact, he might be exactly what they’re missing. Not just to plug a short-term hole in January, but to address long-standing issues in the team’s structure and attacking dynamics.

Let’s start with the immediate concern.

Salah’s Absence Could Be a Turning Point

Come late December, Arne Slot will be without Mohamed Salah. The Egyptian will be heading to the African Cup of Nations, with the tournament running from 21 December to 18 January. If Egypt go far in the competition, Salah could miss several crucial matches. He may also return fatigued or out of rhythm.

This has happened before. Following both the 2022 and 2024 AFCONs, Salah’s performance levels dipped. Even if he isn’t in his best form right now, he’s still Liverpool’s most important player. Losing him for a month, and then seeing a potential slump for the remainder of the season, would be a serious blow to Liverpool’s title and top-four ambitions.

The club has been here before. During the 2022 AFCON, Liverpool acted quickly to sign Luis Díaz. That proactive approach paid off. It should be repeated now.

Antoine Semenyo plays for Ghana, who failed to qualify for this edition of AFCON. That makes him available through this critical period. He also has Premier League experience, meaning he could slot in quickly without needing months of adaptation.

So yes, Semenyo makes sense as a January solution. But the bigger picture matters just as much.