Championship outfit Bristol City are unlikely to be able to afford to recruit Vitoria Guimaraes midfielder Alfa Semedo this summer, according to an update from Bristol World.

Earlier this week, Football Insider claimed that the Robins, Scottish Premiership champions Celtic and second-tier side Stoke City were all interested in a move for the Guinea-Bissau international after establishing himself as a key first-teamer in the Portuguese top-tier.

This wouldn't be the 24-year-old's first move to England if he did link up with the Robins or the Potters, spending the 2019/20 season at Nottingham Forest before plying his trade at Reading during the following campaign.

According to Football Insider, Semedo is available for £1.3m which could tempt the trio to strike an agreement for his services, with the Potters potentially in a good position to do so after selling Nathan Collins for an eight-figure fee last summer, also offloading a high-earner in Tom Ince who will leave the bet365 Stadium at the end of this month.

Ange Postecoglou's Celtic may also be in a strong position to lure him to Glasgow with the Scottish side set to compete in Europe once again next season.

However, Nigel Pearson's side are unlikely to be able to afford the fee needed to bring him to Ashton Gate in the coming months, potentially providing the Potters with a boost in their potential pursuit of the 24-year-old.

The Verdict:

Semedo is a solid player to have in the second tier but he isn't exactly a signing that will blow anyone's socks off judging by his spells at Forest and Reading, so the Robins shouldn't be too gutted if they miss out on him.

The bigger shame for them is the fact they look set to miss out on Cardiff-bound Andy Rinomhota - because the 25-year-old would have been a good long-term alternative and is available on a free transfer.

The Reading man would have brought real energy to the second-tier side's midfield if he had made the move to Ashton Gate and with Han-Noah Massengo not certain to remain with the club beyond the summer, having him there would have been a good insurance policy.

But it could be argued that Rinomhota and Semedo wouldn't have been adequate replacements for a player like Massengo anyway and considering it's so early on in the window, there are other players they can pursue.

Judging by their shrewd transfer business so far, they aren't likely to have a shortage of irons in the fire in this area so it will be interesting to see who comes in to provide a defensive shield in front of their defence.