Manchester City are reportedly exploring the possibility of signing Benfica star Alex Grimaldo this summer.
The Sky Blues are keen on reinforcing the left-back position and have made Brighton’s Marc Cucurella as their top target. But as Brighton value Cucurella at €58m and rejected the defending Premier League champions’ first offer for their left-back, Pep Guardiola and the club have started scouring the market for other alternatives.
According to Spanish newspaper Marca, Manchester City have Alex Grimaldo as one of their fallback options should a move for Cucurella not materialise. However, the Cityzens could face competition from clubs such as Newcastle United, Barcelona and Juventus for the Spanish left-back, who is valued at €20m by Benfica, the report adds.
A product of the famed La Masia academy, Grimaldo, 26, has been with Benfica since January 2016. With six goals and nine assists in all formats last season, he was one of the most prolific left-backs across Europe.
The Spanish defender has entered the final year of his contract at Benfica and will be allowed to leave this summer for a cut price fee.
Alex Grimaldo to Manchester City—Should the Sky Blues make a move?
Pep Guardiola is looking for a new left-back in this transfer window after selling Oleksandr Zinchenko to Arsenal. He is interested in bringing Marc Cucurella to Etihad Stadium after the player’s superb debut season in England last term, with City in talks with Brighton.
However, Alex Grimaldo is a cheaper alternative to Cucurella, with the left-back understood to be open to a transfer after spending five years in Portugal.
Since joining Benfica from Barcelona, Grimaldo has won three league titles and a league cup. He has turned out 246 times for the Lisbon-based outfit, netting 19 goals and registering 50 assists on top of that.
The 26-year-old proved his worth in defence by averaging 1.7 tackles, 1 interception, 1 clearance and 0.2 blocks per 90 minutes in Liga Portugal. But he was way more effective going forward, as evidenced by 1.1 shots, 2 key passes and 0.6 dribbles on top of his five assists and five goals (stats via whoscored).
Fast and aggressive, Grimaldo is an attacking left-back with the ability to make overlapping runs and deliver pinpoint crosses in the box for the forwards to feast upon. He can make a few clever runs with the ball on the left flank, get involved in build-up plays and create openings for his teammates. Also, the 26-year-old has a penchant for scoring goals from set-pieces.
The former Spanish under-21 international is no slouch defensively either, as he is a solid tackler of the ball and effective in winning back possession. Ideally, he is strong in 1v1 situations and possesses the pace to make recovery runs.
Having enjoyed a great time in Portugal, Grimaldo is at the right age to make the step up in his career. He could become a key asset for Pep Guardiola’s side if City can sign him.