Manchester City planning to recruit Benfica star this summer
According to a report from Sport Witness, Benfica left-back Alex Grimaldo is linked with a move to Manchester City ahead of the summer transfer window.
Alex Grimaldo, 25, left Barcelona for Benfica in 2015 and has become a mainstay at the Portuguese club over the years, making 200 appearances across all competitions in the process. He has enjoyed a fine campaign with the Eagles under manager Jorge Jesus, with the left-back racking up two goals and 10 assists in 31 Liga NOS outings.
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The former Spanish under-21 international, contracted until 2023 with Benfica, is also wanted by Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid, who want to ‘reinforce’ the left side of their defence, Sport Witness claim.
Grimaldo seems to have now set his eyes for a move abroad after enjoying six solid years with Benfica. The report adds the 25-year-old is one of many left-back options Manchester City have added to their list of potential targets, as manager Pep Guardiola looks to solve his team’s left-back conundrum this summer.
Left-back has been a problematic position for Manchester City over the last few seasons. Benjamin Mendy, 26, has endured a frustrating time with injuries and fitness problems since arriving at the Etihad Stadium from AS Monaco in 2017.
As a matter of fact that the French international has made just 49 Premier League appearances in four seasons at the club so far says it all.
Even though Mendy has kept himself relatively fit this term, Guardiola has used Joao Cancelo heavily at left-back and relied on Oleksandr Zinchenko to do the job at times. Zinchenko has done well of late and could start in the UEFA Champions League final against Chelsea.
However, for a Manchester City team that has performed very well this season, they cannot allow the left-back position to go unsolved for another year. The Sky Blues must find a permanent solution to their left-back problems, and a player like Alex Grimaldo would fit the bill perfectly at the Etihad Stadium.
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After performing consistently for Benfica over the years, Grimaldo is at the right age to make the step up to a bigger club. A move to Manchester City makes complete sense for a player who is yet to hit his peak. The attack-minded Spaniard’s versatility to play in advanced positions down the left flank and leadership qualities would add a lot of value to Guardiola’s squad too.
All in all, the Cityzens must move on from Mendy and replace him with Grimaldo this summer.