Has Luis Hemir Semedo's move from Sunderland AFC to Juventus gone to plan so far? | OneFootball

The young striker signed a season-long loan deal with Juventus' Next Gen side this summer.

Sunderland striker Luis Semedo made a surprising loan move to Italian giants Juventus this summer, after a challenging debut season at the Stadium of Light last term.

The Portuguese forward has linked up with Juventus' Next Gen side, who ply their trade in Serie C - the third tier of Italian football, with Record reporting that Juventus have the option to make the loan deal a permanent one if they wish.

After signing for Sunderland from Benfica last summer, the 21-year-old struggled to adapt to life in the Championship as he failed to find the back of the net in 23 league appearances last season.

A Portuguese youth international, Semedo was and evidently still is a highly-rated young striker, who could still have a bright future in the game ahead of him.

But, has his move to Juventus gone to plan so far? Football League World investigates...

Semedo is yet to find his shooting boots in Italy

After a goalless debut season in English football, Semedo's move to Italy presented as an excellent opportunity for the young forward to go and play regular games, score goals, and return to Sunderland as a better player for having the experience.

However, things haven't really gone to plan so far this season for either Semedo, or indeed Juventus' Next Gen side.

After eight games in Serie C, the club sit second-bottom in 18th place, with just one win, three draws and four defeats.

Things haven't been going much better for Semedo either, as after six games he is yet to score his first goal in Italian football, but was able to provide an assist in a game against Trapani on 22 September.

Semedo has began to find his way into the starting XI in recent matches, but after being substituted at half-time in the club's latest outing against Potenza, he may yet have more work to do in order to cement his place in the lineup.

Semedo needs a strong season or else Sunderland future looks bleak

Sunderland's goals last season rarely came from their centre-forwards, with striker Nazariy Rusyn's two goals being the most of the Black Cats' recognised centre-forwards last term.

However, things appear to be different this time around, as 19-year-old Eliezer Mayenda and 24-year-old Wilson Isidor have both already equalled that tally as of matchday nine in the Championship.

With Aaron Connolly's arrival providing Regis Le Bris with another striking option who has shown he can score goals at second tier level, and with Rusyn still around too, Sunderland appear to have real strength in depth when it comes to their centre-forward options this year.

That means that the pressure is on for Semedo if he wants to make a career on Wearside, as an uneventful loan spell in Italy's third tier won't stand him in good stead for a place in Le Bris' team if and when he should return.

Semedo put pen to paper on a five-year deal at the Stadium of Light in summer 2023, meaning that come the end of the current season, he will still have another three years left on his Sunderland contract.

As such, there is still plenty of time, should he and the club want it, for him to make an impact in a red and white shirt. But should he fail to standout over in Italy this year, Le Bris is a manager who has no loyalty to the striker given the fact he wasn't at the club when he was signed.

Therefore, Semedo is going to have to find his shooting boots quickly, otherwise his current form will likely not be enough to win himself a permanent deal with Juventus, or indeed secure his future upon his return to Wearside.