TugaScout is an English-language site reporting on matters associated with Portuguese football by freelance writer Alex Goncalves, offering the latest news, reviews and opinions surrounding the Portuguese League and the Seleção players based abroad.

Alfa Semedo set for move to the English Championship

Alfa Semedo set for move to the English Championship

Benfica midfielder Alfa Semedo is set for a loan move to the English Championship, his agent has confirmed.

Semedo, 21, had a disappointing loan spell at Espanyol last season, joining the Spanish side in January but only making 3 appearances in La Liga.

He also made a handful of appearances for Benfica last season too, and showed glimpses of his power and confidence in the middle of the park.

Benfica fans will remember him best for the tremendous goal he scored against AEK Athens in the Champions League, which ultimately gave 10-man Benfica a late 3-2 victory over the then Greek champions.

He only came on for the final 28 minutes of that game, but his low long-range strike in the 74th minute was decisive.

That didn’t earn him any more game time though, and with such strong depth of competition in the Benfica midfield, Alfa is now set to join Nottingham Forest on loan.

He would follow Tiago Silva to the club, who joined from Feirense earlier in the week, while two more Portuguese players are also on the books of Nottingham Forest - Joao Carvalho and Tobias Figueiredo.

Wigan were the club who looked closest to signing the 21-year old midfielder last week, the fellow Championship club thought to be forging something of an unofficial partnership with Benfica, but Forest are now in position to bring him in on a loan deal.

The deal is not believed to contain an option to make the deal permanent.

The move could be made official by the start of next week.

Yuri Ribeiro on track for Nottingham as he posts goodbye message

Yuri Ribeiro on track for Nottingham as he posts goodbye message

Dyego Sousa on track for China

Dyego Sousa on track for China