The future of Wolves captain Nelson Semedo is hanging in the balance as the final stretch of the 2024/25 campaign approaches.
The Portuguese international sees his Wolves contract expire in the summer, and Molineux News understands that Semedo is likely to join Benfica.
Former manager Bruno Lage has spoken about welcoming Semedo to Benfica as a free agent in the summer, with the European giants emerging as front runners to sign him.
Semedo is a crucial player for Vitor Pereira, who wants to keep the 31-year-old, although his inflated wages make it difficult to strike a deal.
So, with the likelihood of him departing being very high, here’s who Wolves should snap up to replace him in 2025.
Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images
Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images
Wolves should sign Kyle Walker-Peters to replace Nelson Semedo
Transfer preparation is already underway ahead of the summer, and Wolves have been linked with an array of names.
Should Semedo exit Molineux and return to his former club, it makes sense for Pereira to try and sign Kyle Walker-Peters from Southampton.
The 27-year-old sees his contract at St Mary’s expire in the summer and would offer the Portuguese boss a versatile option, showcasing his qualities as a left wing-back and right wing-back.
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The former Tottenham man is highly experienced in the Premier League, and although Southampton have endured a disastrous season, he’s been ever present in all but two fixtures.
Walker-Peters has been dubbed ‘super’ previously, and he has proven can defend one-on-ones while support attacks with his pace and quality.
This weekend, Pereira will get a closer look at the former England under-21 star, as Wolves travel to Southampton.
How Semedo compares to Walker-Peters
Wolves fans will be upset to see Semedo leave, as he’s been a great servant to the club since joining from Barcelona in 2020.
But as he’s approaching his 32nd birthday and would cost a lot to keep in Wolverhampton, capturing Walker-Peters on a free transfer would be a worthy replacement, as highlighted by their respective statistics.
Premier League statistics 2024/25 Nelson Semedo Kyle Walker-Peters
Matches played 24 26
Assists 4 2
Successful take-ons (per 90) 1.09 1.06
Progressive carries 2.14 3.66
Pass completion 79.8% 88.3%
Touches (att. pen) 0.88 1.85
Semedo just edges out his counterpart in terms of assists and successful take-ons, but the Southampton man is superior at carrying the ball, completing passes and his threat in the opposition box.
With the Saints nailed on to suffer relegation, Walker-Peters should have a lot of clubs queuing up for him, and Wolves should be one of them.