Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has described Nelson Semedo as his "partner in crime" and the defender is available on a free transfer after his Wolves contract expired
Wolves star Nelson Semedo looks set to leave the club this summer after his contract expired, with manager Vitor Pereira stating that the former Barcelona defender has told him he wants "to find another challenge".
Manchester United are among the clubs that have been linked with a move for Semedo and the 31-year-old has a strong relationship with club captain Bruno Fernandes. The pair are international team-mates with Portugal and Fernandes recently called Semedo his "partner in crime".
After Portugal won the Nations League back in June, beating Spain 5-3 on penalties in the final, Semedo shared a series of snaps on Instagram of him celebrating the victory and Fernandes wrote in response: "My partner in crime".
Semedo's contract with Wolves expired last month and he was offered a new deal, but it appears as though his future lies elsewhere. "The relationship that I have with Nelson, we have been, from the beginning, very honest," Pereira told the Express and Star.
"He said to me that maybe it's time, after five years here, to find another challenge and I understand. But I need to feel that he's honest with me. I prefer to know the truth from the beginning.
"Then, waiting and waiting and waiting. We cannot wait. I like Nelson a lot. That's why the club has a lot of respect and offered him a very good contract.
"But at the end of the day, we need to look for our club. We need to look for our future. This is the time to find a good solution."
Semedo will be the latest key player to leave the club this summer after the departures of Matheus Cunha and Rayan Ait-Nouri. Cunha has joined Manchester United for £62.5million, while Ait-Nouri has signed for Manchester City in a £31m deal.
They have only made two new signings, with winger Fer Lopez joining and striker Jorgen Strand Larsen's loan deal becoming permanent, and Pereira has emphasised the need for more new faces.
"I know myself, at the end of the market maybe I will be not happy, maybe disappointed," he told the Express and Star. "I hope not, because I believe in the people that they are working hard to give us (players). We cannot do miracles, we need players.
"We need to compete with Manchester City, Arsenal. This is our league. We are not competing just with the clubs that are coming from the Championship. Even these clubs, they are spending a lot of money, they are investing a lot of money. It means that the next league will be very, very tough for us.
"I want players that I know that at the end of the game, we cannot control the result, but in the end of the game we are proud of ourselves because we fight, we give everything. Because this is the heart of the people in Wolverhampton."