Alejandro Grimaldo has reportedly emerged as an alternative to Jose Gaya for Barcelona, with Nicolas Tagliafico another contingency option.
According to a report by Spanish outlet Fichajes, Alejandro Grimaldo is the subject of interest from Barcelona over a possible move in the summer transfer window. Jose Gaya is Barcelona’s priority left-back target, but there is no certainty that he will join the Blaugrana.
Alejandro Grimaldo spent his formative years with Valencia and Barcelona before graduating from the famous La Masia academy nearly a decade ago. But after cutting his teeth at Barcelona B, the 26-year-old could not establish a foothold in the first-team setup at Camp Nou and eventually joined Benfica in January 2016 to further his career.
The Spaniard has grown leaps and bounds in the last six years, overcoming some fitness issues to establish himself as one of the best left-backs in Europe. To date, Grimaldo has featured 236 times for Benfica, chipping in with 17 goals and 48 assists in the process. The player’s progress has not gone unnoticed, with former club Barcelona setting sights on him.
The interest from Barcelona stems from Jordi Alba’s inconsistent performances in the last two years. While the Spanish international was superb in the game against Valencia this past weekend, he has failed to string together a run of solid displays. And with Alejandro Balde yet to settle down in the first-team setup at Camp Nou, the Catalan giants are considering signing a left-back in the summer.
To that end, Jose Gaya has emerged as the priority target for Barcelona for the summer transfer window. But according to the report, Gaya is not completely sold on the idea of joining Barcelona and is considering staying at Valencia throughout his career despite Los Che’s struggles in the last few years.
Barcelona will thus need to keep their options open, with Grimaldo and Nicolas Tagliafico on their radar over a possible summer move. And Grimaldo is a viable target for Barcelona as he is well-versed with the environs of the Catalan club and is approaching the peak years of his career.
With his Benfica contract expiring in a little over a year, Barcelona could sign the 26-year-old for a cut-price fee in the summer transfer window. But the pursuit of Grimaldo hinges on the call Gaya takes on his future, and it will be interesting to see if the La Liga heavyweights are forced to turn their attention towards their former academy ace.
