Manchester United are reportedly favourites to land Nelson Semedo in the summer as Bayern Munich have pulled out of the race to sign him
Portuguese outlet Record have reported that Bayern Munich backed out of the chase for Nelson Semedo, effectively clearing up the path for Manchester United to sign the Benfica right-back in the summer transfer window.
In his second season with the Benfica first team, Semedo is enjoying a breakthrough campaign that is starting to make him a household name in Europe. So much so, that the 23-year-old is starting to be regarded as one of the most exciting young defenders in the continent.
A mainstay in defence for the Portuguese giants, Semedo has not only been solid at the back, but has also shown a lot of quality in the final third. That can be seen from the numbers that he has produced, as Semedo has scored 2 goals while providing a staggering 11 assists in 44 appearances in all competitions for Benfica this season.
His exploits have also made him a regular fixture in the Portugal national squad, and he has been attracting the attention of some of the biggest clubs in Europe. Chelsea and Barcelona were previously linked with Semedo, but Bayern Munich and Manchester United had been leading the race to sign him.
That was until now, as according to the latest reports Bayern have backed out of the chase for Semedo. The Bavarian giants are in need to sign a right-back in the summer, with Philipp Lahm retiring.
Rafinha, who is the next in line at the Allianz Arena currently is on the wrong side of 30, and there is a need to find a long-term solution for the right side of defence. But, it looks like Semedo won’t be that solution, as Bayern are unwilling to pay the €35 million asking price that Benfica are holding out for.
Bayern aren’t prepared to pay anything over €20 million to secure his services and are, thus, pulling out of the race to sign him. That now puts the ball in Manchester United’s court, who are unlikely to be deterred by that amount.
Indeed, Manchester United have been the most heavily linked club with Semedo, as they are eager to find a long-term solution at right-back as well. That is because even though Antonio Valencia has been a revelation in the makeshift position this season, he is on the wrong side of 30.
Additionally, Mourinho does not have a top quality option beyond the Ecuadorian, with Darmian not being convincing enough. With Manchester United set to compete on four fronts next season, he will need two quality options at right-back to avoid the struggles of this season.
It now remains to be seen if Manchester United table a formal offer to sign Semedo in the summer. For now though, the Red Devils have become the favourites to land the Portugal international.
