Arsenal have made contact with Benfica over Alejandro Grimaldo, who could be available in a low-cost summer deal as his contract runs down.

For a couple of months in 2019, Arsenal were regularly linked with Benfica left-back Alejandro Grimaldo. In the end, the left-back’s €60m release clause and long contract made a deal unlikely, and the Gunners opted to sign Kieran Tierney instead.

Three years later, Portuguese outlet Record claims a deal could be back on.

Record report that Arsenal are keeping an eye on Grimaldo, and they’ve already made contact with both the player’s representatives and Benfica to establish the potential cost of a deal.

Benfica are asking for at least €7m, which is a dramatic reduction from any of the reported fees in 2019. The 26-year-old’s contract expires in 2023, so that will have played a large part in his new valuation.

It’s very possible Arsenal sign at least one left-sided defender this summer, with reports that Nuno Tavares could be set for a loan move.

So far, the most likely replacement for Tavares has appeared to be Lisandro Martinez, the left-sided centre-back who can also play at left-back. But perhaps Grimaldo is an alternative.

Grimaldo began his career at Barcelona, but he’s now spent well over six years with Benfica, making almost 250 appearances.

In his most recent season, Grimaldo scored six goals and assisted nine in 47 appearances.

Arsenal signed Tavares from Benfica in the first place, so it would be an interesting quirk if they ended up replacing him with another left-back from the same club.