Charlton sign one of U-21 Tournament’s best defenders

Charlton Athletic have been preparing for life in the Championship by signing Portuguese U-21 International central defender Jose Semedo. If you didn’t have a chance to see him at the tournament he was very impressive, hardly putting a foot wrong through all the games and showing exceptional skill and athletic prowess for his age.

Charlton have definitely done well as Alan Pardew continues to build a new squad ahead of his attempt to rebound to the top flight.

A powerful central defender, Semedo reminds me a lot of Kolo Toure and Marcel Desially when you watch him. He has never actually played in the Sporting Lisbon first team having spent his youth there and being loaned out since 2004 to Casa Pia AC and then CD Feirense in the Second Division in Portugal and then to Cagliari in Italy. It’s incredible how many talented players are coming out of the Sporting youth academy, it goes another step towards cementing its place as the second best in the world behind Ajax Amsterdam.

Semedo has signed a four-year deal and follows another Under-21 starlet, Frenchman Yassin Moutaouakil, to the club. Luckily Charlton get him on a free transfer, Sporting having slipped on the contractual front.

I will stop short of raving, but this player has tremendous potential and I am certain will do exceptionally well at Charlton. I couldn’t find a video, so you’ll just have to wait and see.