Cucurella delay: Three alternative transfer targets

Pep Guardiola will know the qualities of the Spanish left-back, Alejandro Grimaldo, given that the Benfica man came through the ranks of La Masia. Despite never featuring for Barcelona, the player known as ‘Alex’ was a constant in their B team set-up before earning a move to the Portuguese giants through his displays.

He has flourished across Liberian peninsula but it appears his time in Portugal may be coming to an end given his reluctance to sign a new contract, a contract which expires in 2023.

That has led to Benfica offering his services to potential suitors, one being City, for a low price. A  price rumoured to be around £10-15million.

That figure is considered a snip amongst some, particularly  Benfica’s sporting director Tiago Pinto, who he called Grimaldo ‘one of the best five left-backs in Europe‘ last season.

An opinion debated highly debated with Grimaldo not highly rated enough to earn an international cap just yet. A move to a more competitive league could see his weaknesses, more than his strenghts.

Should he sign, like Sosa, he would make good cover for Cancelo or even provide a stop-gap until Cucurella is signed next season (should he be priced out of a move this year).

Likelihood: 6/10

Time will tell whether City will sign Cucurella from their Premier League rivals, however one thing is for certain, the Spaniard won’t come cheap.