Nelson Semedo in action for Barcelona during a La Liga encounter. (Getty Images)
Wolves have signed Barcelona star Nelson Semedo for a fee of £36.8m. The Portuguese ace arrives as a replacement for Matt Doherty, who joined Mourinho’s Tottenham earlier. Semedo had been struggling at Barcelona and after Ronald Koeman’s arrival as the manager.
The 26-year-old Portuguese right-back started his youth career at Sintrense in 2008 and moved up the ranks to get promoted to the senior side in 2011.
A year later, Benfica bought him and loaned him to CD Fatima. After his loan spell, Semedo was still playing for the Benfica B side. It was only in 2015 that he played his first game for Benfica. He made a total of 65 appearances for the club, scoring thrice and assisting 12 (source – Transfermarkt).
In 2017, Spanish giants Barcelona acquired his services and despite a shaky start, he made well over 100 appearances for the Blaugrana, with 2 goals and 13 assists. With the shambolic performances of Barca last season, Semedo’s place in the side has come under scrutiny.
He has been a sporadic player for his national side with 14 appearances to date.
Wolves really needed a replacement for Matt Doherty. While Semedo isn’t an out-and-out wing-back that Wolves require, a switch to that position would suit his attacking game and cover a bit of his defensive inefficiencies.
A fresh start at Wolves, especially with so many of his country’s players already in the team, would help.
Nelson Semedo could definitely prove to be an interesting addition to this vibrant Wolves side. The only concern is how he adjusts to the change of position. He has played as an orthodox right-back throughout his career.
Wolves should look to pursue this deal as they would be getting an experienced player who is just having a bit of a bad patch. At 26, he has got a lot left in the tank and can be an able replacement for Doherty.
