Arsenal are keeping a close eye on Benfica left-back Alex Grimaldo, who can leave this summer if the club receives a suitable fee.
Alex Grimaldo, 26, moved to Benfica from Barcelona in 2016 and has since been an integral figure for the Portuguese side, scoring 19 goals and supplying 50 assists in 247 appearances. The Spaniard enjoyed another solid campaign with the Eagles, registering six goals and nine assists in 47 outings.
However, his relationship with Benfica has strained in recent times, and with Grimaldo set to enter the final year of his contract, the club are open to offers this summer. The 26-year-old defender has attracted interest from a lot of clubs, including the likes of Arsenal, Newcastle United and Juventus.
Arsenal have reportedly made contact with Grimaldo’s entourage about a possible move to the Premier League. Having rejected the idea of signing a new contract, Benfica are open to selling the former Spanish under-21 international for €7-8m in the ongoing transfer window.
The Gunners are also stepping up their efforts to bring Ajax defender Lisandro Martinez to the Emirates Stadium. They are in talks with Ajax and have already seen an opening offer of £34.5million rejected for the Argentina international, who is also coveted by Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United.
It remains to be seen where Martinez ends up, although Arsenal have been overtaken by Manchester United as the favourites for the versatile defender’s signature, which should come as a big blow for Mikel Arteta. Leeds United winger Raphinha is also among the club’s chief targets.
Mikel Arteta wants to strengthen his team’s backline
Mikel Arteta would be happy with the business done so far but he certainly remains hungry for more. A left-back appears to be on Arteta’s agenda amid reports of Nuno Tavares attracting interest from Marseille.
Tavares, 22, only joined the Gunners from Benfica last summer but Arteta and co. are open to the idea of letting him leave on loan. Should the Portugal Under-21 international leave, Alex Grimaldo could be an ideal option to replace him as an understudy to Kieran Tierney.
Grimaldo is vastly experienced playing at the highest level in Portugal and could make an instant impact at the Emirates Stadium. The Spaniard would add depth to the Arsenal squad that will compete in the Europa League next season.
For €7-8m, the 26-year-old could be a solid addition to the Gunners’ left-back ranks, but it looks like they’ll have to fend off some serious competition from Newcastle United and Juventus.
I am Rohan Sengupta from one of the busiest cities in India, Mumbai. A Journalism graduate with a keen interest in sports, football is something I simply cannot live without and writing, discussing and analyzing the game is what I do 24*7.
