Arsenal reportedly sent a club official to watch Alejandro Grimaldo after scouting the player previously, so who is he, how much will he cost and what chance do Arsenal have of signing him?
Looking Grim
The 23-year-old Benfica defender comes with a tasty €60m release clause which certainly seems too rich for Arsenal, especially when you consider the host of clubs linked with the left-back who can also play on the wing.
As detailed by Sport Witness, Juventus, Manchester United, Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen, Everton, Inter Milan, Atletico Madrid, Milan, Sevilla, Manchester City, and Real Valladolid all had scouts at the same Europa League game midweek and no doubt some of them were there to watch Grimaldo.
Quite a few clubs there with considerably deeper pockets than Arsenal, that’s for sure.
Grimaldo certainly impressed during Thursday night’s game against Galatasaray which finished 0-0 and was named Man of the Match by Portuguese publication, Record.
He finished the game with two shots, one key pass, 80.6% passing accuracy, and three dribbles. He also put in three tackles, made one interception, three clearances and got in three crosses.
Grimaldo has enjoyed an excellent season so far and you can read more about that next.
An Arsenal scout was present to watch Alejandro Grimaldo score once in a 10-0 Benfica thrashing of Nacional, according to reports in Portugal.
by Dan Critchlow on 11 February, 2019
Over the weekend, Benfica became the first team since 1965 to score 10 goals in a Portuguese top-flight match, as they embarrassed Nacional. According to A Bola, an Arsenal scout was present for the performance, after plenty of reports last week linking The Gunners with a move for Alejandro Grimaldo.
It certainly didn’t take long for Grimaldo to make an impression, as he scored the game’s opening goal within 33 seconds. That put the left-back on six goals and five assists in 35 games this season, an impressive record for a defender.
Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo wrote last week that despite previous reports that Manchester City, Napoli or Inter Milan could be interested in a move for Grimaldo, Arsenal and Atletico Madrid are now the two best-positioned clubs for his signature.
Both Unai Emery and Diego Simeone could do with a new left-back, as they have ageing stars Nacho Monreal and Filipe Luis edging closer to their respective exits.
As mentioned Grimaldo is enjoying a very impressive season in Portugal, so he could be a good replacement, particularly given his age (23). The Spaniard’s biggest strength is his passing, but he’s also a strong dribbler, crosser and he holds onto the ball well.
Clearly, Grimaldo’s not getting much competition in Portugal, but perhaps that just shows he’s ready for the step up to the top five leagues.