Newcastle had been strongly tipped to sign Ruben Semedo.
Sporting Lisbon’s Ruben Semedo in action against Borussia Dortmund’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Newcastle United have missed out on the signing of centre-back Ruben Semedo.
Respected Portuguese newspaper O Jogo had reported the defender was close to a move to Newcastle, but Villarreal have nipped in to seal his signature.
Marca reported last night that Semedo was on the verge of sealing his £12 million transfer from Sporting Lisbon.
Picture Supplied by Action Images
The defender has Champions League experience and could have been a smart addition for Newcastle if they had managed to bring him aboard.
A deal was not straightforward though, with Sporting demanding a 50 per cent sell on fee, and a 30 million Euro penalty fee if Newcastle were to sell him to another Portuguese club.
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A Bola reported that Newcastle were stunned by the demands, which could have allowed Villarreal to nip in.
In recent days Newcastle have been strongly linked with French defender Florian Lejeune, and the Chronicle report they had stepped back from Semedo to consider their various options.
Here is a look at how fans reacted to Semedo deciding to move to Villarreal…
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