Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho reportedly faces competition from former club Chelsea in the race to sign Benfica right-back Nelson Semedo.
According to A Bola, both Premier League giants and Bayern Munich are keen on the 23-year-old, although they’ll have to dig deep into their pockets as he’ll cost at least £34.5m.
Semedo has developed his game and impressed since his 2012 move to Benfica, and has been an ever-present this season, making 29 appearances in total, scoring two goals and providing six assists.
In turn, he has attracted interest from around Europe, with United, Chelsea and Bayern now seemingly set to do battle over his signature.
From United’s perspective, Mourinho is looking for a long-term replacement for Antonio Valencia at right back, as although the Ecuadorian international continues to impress in that role, he turns 32 later this year and will eventually have to be replaced.
As for Chelsea, Antonio Conte has deployed Victor Moses as his right wing-back in a 3-4-3 system this season, but with the Blues more than likely to return to the Champions League next season, he will need quality and depth to cope with competing on various fronts.
In turn, the move for Semedo would make sense for both clubs, while Bayern will have to eventually replace club legend Philippe Lahm who has returned to that position this season under Carlo Ancelotti.
It sets up an intriguing battle between the three European giants, as they all have their reasons for making Semedo one of their top targets. Whether or not Benfica make life too difficult for them to fend off their interest remains to be seen, but the Portuguese international certainly seems like he’ll have options in the summer.