'Unbelievable' £19.8m-rated Wolves stalwart wanted by UCL club; Mendes link could be crucial

Wolves defender Nelson Semedo is seen as a potential transfer target for Atletico Madrid this summer, according to a fresh rumour which has emerged.

The 28-year-old has proven to be a good signing for the Old Gold, delivering natural attacking quality from right-back and also defending resolutely.

Semedo played his part in Wolves being so difficult to break down last season, starting 25 games in the Premier League and averaging 2.3 tackles per match, the joint-second highest among anyone to play more than 10 top-flight matches for Bruno Lage’s team.

However, the £19.8m-rated Portugal defender’s current deal expires next summer, and he could even be on the move before then.

According to Marca, Atletico see Semedo as a potential right-back option this summer, along with Tottenham’s Emerson Royal.

Udinese defender Nahuel Molina is believed to be Diego Simeone’s first-choice target but they could be priced out of a move, meaning that they switch their attention to the Premier League.

The report stated that Semedo’s agent Jorge Mendes, who represents several Wolves players, also has strong ties with Atletico, which may work in the Rojiblancos’ favour.

Semedo has been impressive for Wolves since joining from Barcelona in 2020, being hailed as ‘unbelievable’ by journalist Tim Spiers in April 2021 and posting one of the squad’s highest performance ratings from WhoScored.

However, the 28-year-old’s head could be turned by interest from Atletico, with the La Liga giants able to offer him Champions League football next season.

It would be a big blow for Wolves to lose someone who is so experienced in his position (256 games), especially with fellow right-back Ki-Jana Hoever also departing on loan to PSV Eindhoven this summer, so