The club has come to an agreement with Sporting de Portugal for the transfer of the Portuguese defender
Villarreal CF has come to an agreement with Sporting Clube de Portugal for the transfer of defender Rúben Semedo, who will play for the Yellows for the next five seasons. The 23-year-old, Portuguese defender is one of the most promising centre backs in European football and a key player for Portugal U21, who he is still playing for because he started the European Championships qualifying phase within the age limit for the U21 category.
Rúben Alfonso Borges Semedo (4th April 1994, Amadora, Portugal) started his career in the youth categories of the Lisbon club for whom he made his debut in the top flight in 2013. In the 2014/15 campaign, Rubén went to play on loan at CF Reus Deportiu, and in the 15/16 season to Portuguese side Vitoria Setúbal. In January 2016, Sporting, plagued by injuries, brought him back to play and he made 14 appearances for the Green and Whites. Last season, he became one of the regulars in the back four, playing 31 matches for Sporting de Portugal (24 in the Portuguese league, 6 in the UEFA Champions League and 1 in the Portugal cup).
Rúben is a defender of great stature and physical strength (189cm), quick over short distances and very strong in the air and, occasionally, he can also play as a defensive centre midfielder. The player, from Cape Verde descent, has dual Portuguese and Cape Verdean nationality, but so far he has only competed for the Portugal national team until U21 (8 matches, 3 goals).
