Atletico Madrid insist on Barcelona defender Nelson Semedo

Atletico Madrid remain insistent upon signing Barcelona full-back Nelson Semedo this summer, according to reports in Spain.

Diario Sport cite Diario AS in reporting the information that the Portugal international is at the top of Atleti’s radar and they are negotiating with him in a separate deal from the one which looks set to take Antoine Griezmann to the Camp Nou.

Portugal international Semedo has started less than half (36) La Liga matches since his arrival at the Camp Nou in the summer of 2017 and is said to be open to an exit from the Camp Nou.

Semedo joined in a €35m deal from Benfica and whilst he is the only natural right-back in Ernesto Valverde’s first-team squad, the versatile Sergi Roberto has often been preferred to him.

Other reports have linked the right-back to a move to Paris Saint-Germain – while Dani Alves, who has left the capital, may indeed return to the Blaugrana this summer after three years away.

A report in Diario AS last month claimed that Atletico Madrid have identified the Portugal international as the ideal replacement for Juanfran Torres, who is leaving the club this summer on a free transfer.

A previous report in Marca outlined how his 42% of minutes across first-team football this season is not enough for the Portuguese and he has informed the club that he may consider a move away.

It is said that the Catalan giants may be willing to recuperate the value which they spent upon the right-back two summers ago should a suitable offer come in.

The Blaugrana are desperately in need of generating transfer funds and freeing up wages this summer if they are to pursue their preferred transfer targets.

Moussa Wague, the Senegalese full-back signed last summer, could be promoted to the first-team squad.

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