FC Barcelona are considering a move to bring Alejandro Grimaldo back to Spain in an attempt to bolster the left-back department.
According to the latest report from AS, FC Barcelona are eyeing a summer swoop for Alejandro Grimaldo. It appears the club is keen on adding reinforcements in the left-back position – someone who can provide cover for Jordi Alba, especially with Junior Firpo closing in on an exit.
Barcelona’s interest in Grimaldo is hardly surprising, as the left-back is a former La Masia youth academy member. He joined Benfica in 2016 for a fee of just over €1 million. The player is now valued at €22 million by Transfermarkt, while SL Benfica want a fee of around €20 million for his services this summer.
Grimaldo has established himself as one of the league’s finest full-backs during his five and a half years in Portugal. He has been a first-team regular for Benfica for four straight seasons now, notching up over 200 competitive appearances. The defender’s tally of 13 goals and 41 assists is rather impressive in that timeframe.
Ten of his assists for Benfica came in the recently concluded 2020/21 campaign. Grimaldo, in fact, was the club’s most creative player, along with Darwin Nunez. And it has reportedly raised the eyebrows of Barcelona as they prepare for life without Firpo.
The former Real Betis full-back was linked with a move to Arsenal earlier this year. His departure, nonetheless, appears to be guaranteed, having failed to earn the trust of the Barcelona camp.
Ronald Koeman has targeted many potential replacements, including Ajax star Nicolas Tagliafico while Portugal’s rising star Nuno Mendes was another option. However, neither of them have the experience of previously playing in Spain – making Grimaldo quite an appealing option for the Catalans.
As mentioned earlier, the Spaniard was a former member of the La Masia academy. He is, therefore, quite familiar with the club’s style of football and should settle in rather easily at Camp Nou next season.
Unlike Tagliafico, Grimaldo is also better suited to playing as a wing-back due to his attacking qualities. It does indeed make him an ideal target for the Catalan giants, as they hope to restore their lost glory under newly elected president Joan Laporta, who has already made some smart investments in the market this summer.