Newcastle United and Southampton have both missed out on the signing of defender Ruben Semedo.
It had been reported that both the Magpies and the Saints were keen on strengthening their backlines with the 23-year-old after he had impressed in Portugal's top flight.
However, it has now been revealed that he has signed a five-year deal to join Villarreal, with the fee said to be in the region of €14m (£12.19m).
The developments come as a blow to both sides, who had identified the player as a key piece of business ahead of next season.
Semedo made a total of 30 appearances for Sporting during the most recent campaign, with six of his outings coming in the Champions League.
Written by
Darren Plant
Darren Plant
