Barcelona star Semedo breaks multiple lockdown rules to attend party

Barcelona right-back Nelson Semedo was pictured at a birthday party two nights ago, it has been revealed.

The photo clearly shows no masks or any safety precautions prescribed by the United Nations as well as Spanish government to fight the COVID-19 virus.

Nelson Semedo in action for Barcelona

Will Barcelona take action?

With La Liga returning this week, Barcelona face Mallorca on Saturday. It remains to be seen whether the club takes any action against the Portuguese.

[🌖] Nélson Semedo had skipped the de-escalation protocol on Monday and had instead attended a birthday with 20 people in Barcelona. The club had no knowledge about this. All the images/videos he was seen in, were deleted later on. @DeportesCuatro #FCBLive 🚨🇵🇹

— Hagrid ✆ (@HagridFCB) June 10, 2020

Currently, Spain is going through Phase 2 of its de-escalation process. This includes using of masks and gloves, and limitations with regards to the number of people that can be in a room.

The 26-year old Semedo joined Barcelona from Benfica in 2017, for a fee of €30 million, excluding add-ons.

And his spell with the Catalans has been topsy-turvy. Often rotated with Sergi Roberto at the right-back position, Semedo has made 111 appearances in all competitions for Barcelona so far, scoring once and assisting 10 times.

There have been persistent rumors linking him with a move away. One of the more imaginative ones saw him being linked to Juventus, with the Italians apparently willing to offer Miralem Pjanic, Mattia de Sciglio, and cash for Semedo.

Bayern Munich are one of the clubs to have shown an interest in Nélson Semedo's situation at Barcelona. The German champions are in the market for a right-back and the Portugal international is on their shortlist, although he is not the top target [@sport] pic.twitter.com/75Ag0kfnvc

— Bayern & Germany (@iMiaSanMia) June 5, 2020

Apart from that, EPL defending champions Manchester City have been credited with an interest. Barcelona are interested in Manchester City's right-back Joao Cancelo, so a swap deal might happen.

Other than Joao Cancelo, Barcelona are also reportedly closing in on Inter Milan striker Lautaro Martinez. Pjanic is another player who is of interest to the Catalans. However, that interest is independent of the any Semedo deal.

Barcelona's need for a proper right-back has been well-documented. After club legend Dani Alves' departure in 2016, Barcelona have tried Douglas, Semedo, and converted midfielder Roberto to play in that position. None can be called a success. Many fans are of the opinion that if Roberto had not been a La Masia graduate, he would have been sold by now.

Sergi Roberto is their other right-back option

And as such, they have been linked with various right-backs over the years. Apart from Cancelo, and de Sciglio, there were links to then Manchester United's Matteo Darmian, and recent reports have seen them attached to Ajax youngster Sergino Dest.

Barcelona are currently two points ahead of Real Madrid in the title race. In the Champions League, they were drawn against Napoli. They drew 1-1 in the away leg against the Italians, a fixture in which central midfielder Arturo Vidal was sent off for the Catalans.

Barcelona need to treat every league match from now on as a cup final. In a season where there has been so much turmoil at the club, Barcelona need to make sure they finish the season on a strong note. The return of striker Luis Suarez from a serious injury will surely boost their chances. The likes of Frenkie de Jong, Sergio Busquets and Antoine Griezmann will have to hit the ground running if Barcelona really secure the La Liga title.