Arsenal reignite interest in 22 year old right back, could be Bellerin insurance

 

Arsenal are still observing Benfica right-back Nelson Semedo, according to the Portuguese newspaper A Bola.

The Gunners’ interest the player is barely mentioned in the short text, as the outlet says the 22-year-old is followed by Inter and put the English club in commas.

We must say this is very a weird way to claim the chase, since it’s the first time in months that we’ve seen links between Semedo and Arsenal in the newspaper.

The Portuguese press usually make a big noise when a big Premier League club shows interest in one of the players, so it’s hard to say why they haven’t done it in this case.

Arsenal’s first contacts for Nelson Semedo were reported in 2015, but things have gone quiet since the winter market opened.

As a Benfica player, you could expect no less: Semedo has a €60m release clause and his agent is no one but Jorge Mendes. If Arsene Wenger really wants the player, he won’t be cheap.

Arsenal keeping an eye on Semedo could be a wise move, especially if Barcelona go full DNA with Hector Bellerin. On Monday and Tuesday, Catalan newspaper Sport had Bellerin on their front, explaining he’s Barcelona’s number one target.

The Spaniard is happy at Arsenal, but it would be sensible for Arsenal to know they had options available in case a sale did happen.