It Was Barcelona Or No One, Says Nelson Semedo
REUTERS/Maxim Zmeyev
Barcelona’s newest signing Nelson Semedo has revealed that he had no second thoughts when the Catalans came knocking on his door.
The youngster considered the Spanish giants as his only option all along, and didn’t think about any other offers once he learned of their interest, said the 23-year-old following his €30million move from Benfica.
On the other hand, the talented full-back was a popular figure in the transfer market, with both Manchester clubs rumoured to be interested in availing themselves of the defender’s services. However, ‘Nelsinho’ was determined to move to Camp Nou.
“I didn’t even think about any other offers,” he said at his presentation, when asked about interests from City and United. “All players want to play for Barcelona and I’m no exception. I was really excited when I heard they wanted to sign me.”
The Portugal international has been signed as the solution to Barca’s recent right-back crisis, following the departure of Dani Alves last summer. The club eyed various players, with Arsenal’s Hector Bellerin seemingly being the primary option, but Gunners’ boss Arsene Wenger strongly insisted the young full-back is not for sale.
Semedo was an integral part of Benfica’s squad last season, especially going forward. The right-back layed 6 assists and scored twice across all competitions – a style of play that suits the Catalans very well.
The La Liga giants may end up paying a sum around €30 million plus €5 million for add-ons. But since recent demands for defenders are getting exponentially high, Barcelona’s sporting director Robert Fernandez would be very happy with the deal.
Barca boss Ernesto Valverde would be looking to strengthen his team’s defense going into the upcoming campaign and hoping to amend last season’s mistakes.
Written by Ashish Sreejith 
Have had two addictions in life- playing football and watching football. Usually described as introverted but not when it comes to speaking and writing about the beautiful game of football.