"Believe Celtic are...": Anthony Joseph reveals transfer update supporters will love - opinion

A claim has emerged on Celtic’s plans amid links to Alfa Semedo in the summer transfer window… 

Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph has revealed that the Hoops have not reached an agreement to sign the midfielder and are not eyeing up a swoop for him ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “I think the Portuguese media were reporting that a loan deal and a fee had been agreed [for Semedo]. We don’t believe that to be the case. As far as I’m led to believe Celtic are not pursuing the signing of Semedo.”

Hoops supporters will be delighted by this claim from Joseph as the Vitoria Guimaraes midfielder would not be a strong addition to the squad.

Semedo has failed to catch the eye in Portugal and England in recent years and his form does not suggest that he would come in and improve Ange Postecoglou’s starting XI.

In Liga Portugal last season for Vitoria, the 24-year-old averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.61 across 26 appearances. This came after he spent a year on loan at Reading in the Championship – averaging a rating of 6.69 as he lost 52% of his duels and only completed 72% of his passes.

He also spent the 2019/20 campaign on loan to Nottingham Forest in the second tier of English football. The dud struggled badly as he averaged a dismal rating of 6.57 across 24 outings – losing 56% of his individual battles and completing 69% of his passes.

This shows that Celtic would be signing a player who has been out of form for three seasons in succession, as he has been unable to deliver quality performances on a consistent basis.

All three of his aforementioned ratings would have placed him 29th or lower in the Celtic squad last season in terms of average ratings in the Premiership. He would, therefore, barely be good