On Sunday we covered claims from Portugal about Lille’s interest in Ruben Semedo. The French club had come strongly into the picture, just a few days after Newcastle United were said to have kicked off talks with the player’s entourage.
Newcastle’s aim was to know Semedo’s opinion on a move to St James’ Park, and there’s been no answer on that in the Portuguese media yet.
Lille’s tactic to get ahead of the opposition was sending a representative to Sporting’s last game of the season, against Chaves on Sunday. Those reports clearly made their way to Sporting fans, who unfurled a banner saying ‘Ruben Semedo, Bon Voyage’.
It was one of several banners taking swipes at Sporting, presumably at players who perceivably want to leave, and the club generally for selling some of its finest near enough every summer.
Newcastle target Semedo must have been aware of the banner, an image of which has been printed in Record and other newspapers, but he denied that when quizzed at Lisbon 
airport on Monday.
Leaving, and perhaps not returning, Semedo is quoted by Record as saying: “I don’t know, I didn’t see.”
Sporting clearly want to sell the defender, they’ve made that so clear their own fans know, so Newcastle have a chance against Lille.
The lure of the Premier League shouldn’t be too hard a sell for Rafael Benitez, along with likely higher wages.
