Redknapp Admits Semenyo Gaffe Was Down to Dad's Duff Intel

Jamie Redknapp has come clean about the source of his spectacular miss on the Semenyo transfer front, pointing the finger squarely at his old man.

The Sky Sports pundit caused a stir by suggesting live on air that there might be a last-minute plot twist in the Antoine Semenyo saga, hinting that Liverpool could yet gatecrash a deal that appeared sewn up between Bournemouth and Manchester City. The moment came after Semenyo had bagged a dramatic late winner against Tottenham in what looked like his final outing for the Cherries.

Within 24 hours, City pulled the trigger on the £65million signing of the Ghanaian winger, leaving Redknapp's prophecy in tatters.

During Tuesday's coverage of Newcastle's 2-0 loss to City, presenter Mark Chapman couldn't resist having a dig, reminding Redknapp of his earlier confidence. The former Liverpool midfielder owned up to getting it badly wrong but wasted no time deflecting blame to his father, the veteran manager Harry Redknapp.

"I heard there was going to be a twist," Redknapp explained. "My dad was at Bournemouth when Semenyo scored that incredible goal, and he reckoned there might be a late turn of events with Liverpool in the mix. I thought I'd better mention it on air. For about five seconds I reckoned I was Fabrizio Romano, and then it all fell apart."

Semenyo has since made a flying start at the Etihad, finding the back of the net and providing an assist on his debut in the FA Cup against Exeter City. He opened the scoring in Tuesday's Carabao Cup semi-final first leg against Newcastle, though a well-taken volley was controversially chalked off for an offside call involving Erling Haaland.

The 26-year-old has praised the atmosphere at City following his switch, describing the environment as "perfect" and highlighting how quickly he's settled in alongside his new teammates. He's credited the confidence instilled by Guardiola's squad for his rapid integration.

"The whole environment here is perfect," Semenyo reflected after the Newcastle clash. "Everyone is confident and wanting to achieve the best. I have come into that, and they helped with my confidence and made me feel welcome. I am picking things up very quickly and enjoying it."

City will look to extend their winning run when they face Manchester United on Saturday, with Semenyo expected to feature prominently in their attacking setup alongside Haaland and Phil Foden.