Manchester United have contacted FC Barcelona in regards to the potential transfer of Nelson Semedo, who could be offloaded in the summer.
According to Sport, as relayed by The Sun, Manchester United could seize on the opportunity to sign Nelson Semedo. The FC Barcelona right-back will reportedly be available in the transfer market this summer, even though the club was not keen on offloading him a month ago.
It is believed that United have already started talks with the Catalan giants in pursuit of Semedo. The player himself is not exactly satisfied at Barcelona due to his lack of game-time, which, combined with the financial damage inflicted by the Coronavirus, is perhaps forcing Quique Setien’s side to get rid of the Portuguese international.
From Barca’s perspective, Semedo’s sale will make sense given the fact that the ex-Benfica starlet has never really made the desired impact. He often struggled with a lack of opportunities, having failed to feature in over 2,000 minutes of league football in any of his three seasons in Spain.
However, this will be a great opportunity for Manchester United to sign Semedo, especially with his contract expiring in 2022. That means he will likely be available for a reasonable price as Barcelona looks to reshape their defensive unit in the summer.
At the same time, though, Semedo is a bizarre target for a Manchester United side that already has a reliable right-back in Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
Indeed, the ex-Crystal Palace sensation has been able to settle in at the club after joining the club last summer. He is definitely one of the best right-backs in the Premier League and with that in mind, it would perhaps be unwise for the Red Devils to invest in Semedo.
The Portuguese international will add unnecessary competition in the right-back unit. But more importantly, he won’t solve a glaring problem Manchester United have on the opposite flank. In fact, Luke Shaw’s futility has seen Ole-Gunnar Solskjaer utilise the young and inexperienced Brandon Williams this campaign.
The youngster did perform well and cannot be considered as a regular first-team option if the Red Devils are to compete with the big guns. Therefore, Solskjaer should perhaps set their sights towards a new left-back instead of going after Semedo if they are to truly revamp their defensive unit in the summer.
As for Semedo, he, too, will be better suited elsewhere. Tottenham Hotspur, for example, who were also linked with a move for the Barcelona sensation, are in desperate need of a quality right-back. And given the Portuguese connection offered by Jose Mourinho, Spurs could indeed be an interesting option for Semedo.