Wolverhampton Wanderers star Nelson Semedo seems set to leave the club this summer after his contract expires. Manager Vitor Pereira stated that the former Barcelona defender told him he wants to "seek another challenge".
Manchester United are among the clubs linked with Semedo's transfer. The 31-year-old has a close relationship with the club's captain Bruno Fernandes. The two are teammates in the Portuguese national team, and Fernandes recently referred to Semedo as his "criminal partner".
After Portugal won the Nations League title in June, defeating Spain 5-3 in a penalty shootout in the final, Semedo shared a series of photos of his victory celebrations on Instagram. Fernandes replied: "My criminal partner".
Semedo's contract with Wolves expired last month, and he was offered a new contract, but his future appears to be elsewhere. "My relationship with Nelson has been very honest from the start,"
"He told me that after spending perhaps five years here, it's time to seek another challenge, and I understand. But I need to feel his honesty towards me. I prefer to know the truth from the beginning.
"Then, it's just waiting, waiting, and waiting. We can't wait. I like Nelson very much. That's why the club respects him a lot and offered him a very good contract.
"But in the end, we need to think about the club. We need to plan for the future. Now is the time to find good solutions.
Semedo will be another key player to leave the club this summer, following Matheus Cunha and Rayan Aït-Nouri. Cunha joined Manchester United for £62.5 million, while Aït-Nouri moved to Manchester City for £310,000.
They have only signed two new players: winger Félix López joined the team, and forward Jörgen Strand Larsen's loan deal was converted into a permanent transfer. Pereira emphasized the need for more new players.
"I know that by the end of the transfer window, I might be unhappy or even disappointed," he said. "I hope not, because I believe they are working hard to bring us (players). We can't work miracles; we need players.
"We need to compete with Manchester City and Arsenal. This is our league. We are not just competing with clubs from the Championship. Even those clubs are spending a lot of money and investing heavily. This means next season's league will be very, very difficult for us.
"I want players. I know that at the end of a game, we can't control the result, but at the end of the game, we will be proud of ourselves because we fought and gave everything. Because this is the voice of the people of Wolverhampton."
