Sunderland player set for shock Juventus transfer | OneFootball

Sunderland's Luis Semedo is set for a surprise move to Italian giants Juventus

Sunderland striker Luis Semedo is set to complete a shock loan move to Juventus, according to reports from his homeland of Portugal.

Record have reported that the striker will sign a loan deal with the Italian giants with an option to make it permanent, a move which will come as a huge surprise to the Stadium of Light faithful.

The 21-year-old joined the Black Cats from Benfica B last summer but hasn't lived up to expectations, and has failed to score a goal in his 24 Sunderland appearances.

The Portuguese striker has fallen down the pecking order since Regis Le Bris' arrival this summer, and hasn't been included in the matchday squad for Sunderland's first three Championship fixtures, and looks set to complete a deadline day move away from the Stadium of Light.

Luis Semedo is set to join Juventus

Given his lack of playing time so far this season, it's not a surprise that Semedo looks set to depart this summer, but what will come as a surprise is the fact that he's joining a club of Juventus' stature.

The striker had an impressive strikerate for Benfica B, scoring 21 goals in 44 appearances, which equates to nearly one every other game, but he's struggled with the demands of English football and the Championship, and will depart without having found the back of the net for Sunderland's first-team.

However, Juventus must have been impressed with what they've seen from Semedo previously at Benfica, and their loan-to-buy option will give them the chance to assess him up close this coming season before deciding whether to sign him permanently next summer.

It's safe to assume that Semedo won't be going straight into the first-team in Turin, and he'll likely ply his trade for Juventus Next Gen, who compete in Serie C, the third tier of Italian football.

However, after a wretched first season at Sunderland, the club will likely be relieved to get him off their books, and you'd imagine that the 21-year-old would be all in favour of a move to a club of Juventus' stature.

Luis Semedo and his fellow strikers endured a tough 2023/24 campaign

Semedo, Naz Rusyn, Eliezer Mayenda and Mason Burstow scored just three goals for Sunderland last season between the four of them, and it's clear that they needed better if they were going to improve.

Le Bris has addressed this by signing Zenit St Petersburg striker Wilson Isidor on loan, while they have also been linked with a deadline day swoop for Chelsea striker David Fofana and Gent man Ahemed Abdullahi.