It seems as though Wolverhampton Wanderers captain Nelson Semedo will not stay at the club this summer. The Portugal international did not sign a new contract at Molineux, with The Athletic explaining that ‘no one at the club expects the 31-year-old to return’ now that his contract is up.
That is not through lack of trying on Wolves’ count. The former Barcelona star was offered a new four-year deal recently, according to the same report, but it does not seem like he will sign. So ends his five-season stint with the Old Gold, which saw him make 182 appearances.
Now, it means Vitor Pereira’s side are in the market for a new right-back. They may well have someone lined up.
Wolves’ new right-back target
It is certainly a blow for the Old Gold to lose Semedo this season, given his importance on the side. Not only is he the club captain, but a key part of the squad with four assists from right-back last season.
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However, it seems that the West Midlands club have identified the man who will replace him. According to a report from Fabrizio Romano, Wolves are ‘pushing in talks’ to sign Almeria and Spain under-21 full-back, Marc Pubill.
They are not the only side in the race, with Romano reporting that the Old Gold are looking to ‘anticipate Italian clubs’ who might be interested, too.
Reports from Spain back in March also named Barcelona as an interested club. They said that a £17m fee would be enough to tempt Almeria into selling their young star.
Why Pubill would be a good signing
Given the stature of clubs interested in 22-year-old Pubill this summer, there is no doubt that this would be an astronomical coup from Pereira’s Wolves side. He certainly comes with a high reputation, and impressed for Almeria last term.
Playing in the second tier of Spain last season, Pubill made 40 appearances across all competitions, scoring once in the league and grabbing five assists. Four of those games, as well as one assist against CD Leganes, came in the Copa Del Rey.
The Almeria number 18 is also an Olympic Gold medalist, having won the tournament with Spain in Paris in 2024. He was a key member of his country’s under-21 side at the recent European Championship, too.
Playing four games and scoring the first goal of the tournament against hosts Slovakia, the defender was described as “one of the best two right-backs” in the competition by football analyst Ben Mattinson.
Indeed, some of the numbers Pubill was putting up in his most recent La Liga season, 2023/24, will surely impress Wolves fans. The numbers, which come via Squawka, show how defensively solid he is, winning an average of 6.7 duels per game.
A progressive player, Pubill also averaged 13 forward passes each game, too.
Chances created
20
1
Crosses completed
10
0.5
Forward passes
271
13
Take-ons completed
33
1.6
Duels won
139
6.7
Ball recoveries
93
4.5
The “powerful” full-back, as Mattinson called him, could prove to form an excellent partnership with another potential new incoming at Molineux, Jhon Arias. The winger, who plays for Fluminense, is set to move to the West Midlands for £15m, according to The Guardian.
The 27-year-old Colombian winger has four goals and 13 assists to his name for the Brazilian giants this season.
A skilful attacker, Arias is a fantastic combination player and likes to work in tandem with his full-back, which this assist from the Club World Cup showcases perfectly.
It is safe to assume that, if Pubill joins Wolves after Arias’ move has gone through, the pair could form a devastating partnership. They both excel in the final third, and could piece together some exciting combination play down that right flank.
The competition to sign Pubill is tough, which, if anything, just confirms this is a strong move from Wolves. £17m is not too much of an investment, and he could link up in a superb way with Arias, too.
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