Why Barcelona could be forced to renew Juventus and Inter Milan target Nélson Semedo's contract
Barcelona and Inter Milan have been locked in constant negotiations regarding several transfer opportunities. The ongoing COVID-19 crisis has caused chaos in the financial structure of most European clubs. Due to this reason, several clubs are now looking to conduct swap deals supplemented by cash to strengthen ahead of the 2020/21 season.
There have been several players such as Lautaro Martínez and Ivan Rakitić linked with a move between Barcelona and Inter. Rakitić has remained a long-standing target for Inter, while Lautaro is widely expected to move to Spain come transfer window.
One such player is Nélson Semedo, who is on Inter's radar ahead of the 2020/21 season. The Portuguese was purchased by Barcelona in the summer of 2017 for a fee of €30.5m from Benfica. Semedo's current contract is set to expire in 2022, due to which Barcelona began negotiating a new deal for the Portuguese.
However, Spanish outlet MARCA reported earlier that the full-back's demands are deemed too high by Barcelona. Additionally, the club also feel that during the ongoing pandemic it would become all more difficult to carry out an expensive operation. This is why Semedo has reportedly begun considering other options.
Barcelona and Semedo's limited options
If they do not sell him this summer, Semedo could potentially leave for much lesser in the summer of 2021 as he would have just a year left on his contract. From Barcelona's perspective, it would make more financial sense to part ways with him for a reasonable fee this summer.
The main suitors for the Portuguese's services are Manchester City, Juventus, and Inter Milan. However, there is a belief in Spain that the options are running down with time.
Juventus have been in talks with Barcelona over a potential transfer of Miralem Pjanić from Italy to Spain. While Semedo is seen as an ideal player to be included in the deal, it has been reported that the Old Lady aren't prepared to pay the wages being demanded by Semedo. It has been noted that the wage quoted were similar to what Barcelona are currently paying him and is deemed too high by the Italians.
Juve's rivals Inter Milan are very much in the fray as they seek to lure Semedo to Italy. While it has been reported that the player has happy with the terms offered by Inter, his move remains complicated. This is because Barcelona are keen to tie-in the player with the ongoing negotiation for Lautaro.
Barcelona view Lautaro as the future of their attack upon the imminent retirement of club legend Luis Suárez. They have the player's approval, but Inter demand that Lautaro's €111m clause is paid in full.
Although Inter are interested in Semedo being included in the deal, they deem Barcelona's valuation of him (€41m) to be too high. That being said, Inter perhaps remains the most viable option for Semedo should he leave.
Manchester City are also credited with an interest in the Portuguese full-back earlier on. However, due to Joāo Cancelo's uncertain future and the financial crisis, it might be a feasible move for the defending English champions.
If Semedo doesn't leave this summer, Barcelona could be forced to give in to the 26-year-old's demands and renew his contract.