The Sporting Lisbon defender has fallen out of favour, potentially impacting his seemingly inevitable summer exit with Everton and Southampton linked.
Everton and Southampton will surely take issue with lumbering them with the ‘feeder club’ tag but, for young, talented players aiming to make their name in one of Europe’s top leagues, Goodison Park or St Mary’s could be the perfect environment to develop, earn regular game-time and thrive without the intense pressure that comes with moving to an established giant.
Anderlecht superkid Youri Tielemans claimed recently that a club of Everton’s stature could help him on his road to greatness, as reported by the International Business Times, while The Saints have made a living signing low and selling high.
Therefore, if Sporting Lisbon’s highly-rated defender Ruben Semedo arrived on Stanley Park or the South Coast, you wonder just how long he’d stick around for amid previous links with the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea.
The Sun reported in October that Everton see Semedo as a long-term replacement for John Stones although, with a £40 million buyout clause in his contract, he may cost a similar fee.
And, according to A Bola, the 22-year-old has been on Southampton’s radar for quite some time and The Saints will be in the market for a centre-back in the summer after Semedo’s compatriot Jose Fonte departed for West Ham.
Yet, much will depend on whether Everton or Southampton could thrash out a deal at a much lower price. Portuguese clubs are notoriously difficult sellers, however, meaning the progressive duo may have to dip their hands into their pockets.
That should not prove too much of an issue for an Everton side bankrolled by billionaire Farhad Moshiri but will Southampton be willing to break their transfer record again after splashing out on the disappointing Sofiane Boufal in the summer?
And is Semedo even worth the fee? He hasn’t played a league game in over a month after falling out of favour and Portuguese football expert Tom Kundert, after being contacted by HITC, claimed manager Jorge Jesus has instead turned his attention to another impressive young Portuguese centre-back in Paulo Oliveira.
As it stands, it is not clear when Semedo will return to the starting XI, if at all. So Everton and Southampton would be taking a huge risk making a massive summer bid.
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