Wolves bid to sign a player who’s currently serving a five-year suspended prison sentence, something that hasn’t exactly pleased fans.
The West Midlands outfit have seen their pursuit of Ruben Semedo hit a stumbling block after it emerged they will be unlikely to get a work permit for the defender.
The 27 year old Olympiacos centre back was handed his punishment and banned from entering Spain for eight years in July 2020.
He was detained by the Spanish authorities for five months and was later found guilty of a series of offences, including robbery, assault, kidnap and possession of a firearm.
Olympiacos defender Ruben Semedo is not in the Greek club’s squad for their Europa League fixture this week.
This is a strong indication that the negotiations between Wolves and Olympiacos are advancing. [source: @brunoandrd]#WWFC | #Wolves pic.twitter.com/slIWAXyZD1
— Talking Wolves (@TalkingWolves) August 18, 2021
He was arrested in 2018, while playing in Spain, after being accused of assaulting and tying up a man in his home before going on to burgle the victim’s property along with two others.
Semedo, who was also charged with attempted murder – a claim he has always denied – ended up escaping custody after paying his €30,000 (£25,000) bail.
However, the Provincial Court of Valencia handed him a five-year suspended prison sentence and banned him from entering Spain for eight years back in July 2020.
Semedo’s past didn’t seem to be an issue for Wolves, wanting to sign him and were interested in a one-year loan deal.
According to various reports, manager Bruno Lage also wanted to include an option to buy in any deal for Semedo, who has also played for Villarreal and Sporting Lisbon during his career.
Though Sky Sports News have somewhat played down any potential deal, claiming that Wolves would be unable to get a work permit for Semedo in the United Kingdom because of his conviction.
Spanish newspapers stated at the time of his sentencing that Semedo, who has three caps for Portugal, claimed he was forced into the incident because he was indebted to a third party.
Villarreal suspended the player with pay and were looking to sell him before a move to Olympiacos was completed in 2019.
He signed for the reigning Europa League champions in 2017, and struggled for game time, getting sent out on loan to Huesca and Rio Ave before moving to the Greek club.
That wasn’t the only incident that Semedo had got himself involved in whilst playing out in Spain. He was also reportedly caught with a firearm inside a Valencia nightclub in 2017 and smashed a glass bottle over a man’s head in separate incidents.
Speaking about his experience of prison, Semedo said in an interview with Portuguese newspaper A Bola: ‘I cried a lot of nights. I never did it in front of anybody, but I couldn’t sleep many nights and I was just thinking about my children and my family suffering.
‘It makes you think if it is really worth not spending time with your family to spend time with people who don’t care about you and lead you down paths which won’t get you anywhere.
‘I suffered a lot and yes, I cried a lot of nights.’
Semedo has come up against many Premier League clubs in European competitions, scoring against Tottenham in a Champions League defeat in north London back in 2019 and helped knock Arsenal out of the Europa League in the same campaign.
Semedo also played 29 minutes against Wolves in the next round of the competition, though the Premier League side managed to progress through to the next stage.
Fans reacted as Wolves bid to sign a player who’s serving a five-year suspended prison sentence…
@cov_wolf: Mad how it seems Ruben Semedo is already a cult hero purely on the basis that he’s a criminal psychopath.
Fkin love this club
@Michael_I_Jones: ‘Desperation’ by the club or fans shouldn’t blind us into the purchase of Ruben Semedo. Despicable criminal history which he’s largely escaped punishment for through paying a hefty bail. Also, he’s not even very good, let’s move on.
@TeaPartyBatman: If we’re getting Ruben Semedo we should try and get Pepe as well imagine that defensive partnership
@StevenCross81: Ruben Semedo….. We need that level of shithousery 👌
@DannyPowers82: What is this Ruben semedo like then? Apart from the fact he’ll probably hold up the post office in town at some point #wwfc
@AndyEvers1: Ruben Semedo then. An actual criminal offender at CB. Some guy that would probably be sent off about 7 times in the season? Get him in
@TheBoringfollwr: About Ruben Semedo. I honestly would prefer someone without a criminal record. If we do end up getting him, he has my support as a player. Also the way Olympiacos play and how important he was for them, I think you have to rate him.
@WanderersWeekly: With Romain Saiss and Ruben Semedo in the same team, someone is getting hurt. #WWFC
@AutismLWHF: We’re actually signing Ruben Semedo aren’t we hahaha
@J77_WLV: Is Ruben Semedo slightly erratic and hot tempered, yes he is. Remember that one of the best CBs of our generation in Pepe is/was similar. They’ve got that aggressive edge as soon as they’re on the pitch. They’ve won the battle with the opposing forward before play starts.
@SouthBankMatt: I do think that Wolves are sometimes too nice and Bruno has referred to that in his preseason interviews. Ruben Semedo will certainly toughen us up. I’m talking more about his tackles and intensity, rather than his kidnapping, robbery and illegal possession of weapons, mind. 😬🐺
@HackneyWolves: Ruben Semedo banned from Spain…along with half our fan base i’d imagine.
@WWFCJL: If you think the crimes Ruben Semedo has committed are bad, wait until you see what Lukaku does to Coady this season…

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