According to reports in Portuguese sports daily A Bola, Manchester United representatives were in Lisbon on Tuesday night to observe 23-year-old Benfica defender Nelson Semedo. With reports circulating that his current market value is around £50 million, just who is this new star of Portuguese football?
 

Born in Lisbon, Semedo started his career in the youth ranks at Sintrense before being snapped up by the Lisbon giants in 2012. A season in the club’s “B” team was followed by a loan deal which took him to Fatima. After one season away, he was back in the capital and when Maxi Pereira left the club, Semedo signed a contract extension until 2021 and joined the first-team on their summer tour in 2015.  

His full debut came in August of the same year in the Supercup against city rivals Sporting and just one week later, he scored his first goal in the top division against Estoril. Now there’s concrete interest from his fellow countryman at Old Trafford and the future looks bright for one of Portugal’s brightest stars.



Steve Mitchell @barafundler