Manchester United Lining Up A Summer Move For Ex-Barcelona Star
REUTERS/Sergio Perez
Premier League giants Manchester United are reportedly eyeing Benfica’s star left-back, Alex Grimaldo, and are said to be ‘lining up a summer move’ for the Spaniard. The Red Devils have faced the Portuguese Champions twice in the Champions League this season, and have so far been impressed with the former Barcelona defender.
According to the report by Record (via Sport Witness), the highly rated left-back could be seen heading towards Old Trafford next summer, with the club said to be ‘attentive’ over his situation, as Jose Mourinho is ‘monitoring him closely’.
It was further reported that the Eagles currently plan on holding Grimaldo ‘at least until the summer,’ as the €60 million release clause in his contract would ward off any interest from multiple European elites who want to sign the Portuguese side’s prized possession.
However, the added protection would only last until the next year’s summer transfer window, which is why Benfica seem to have already kick-started their search for possible replacements.
REUTERS/Pedro Nunes
Record, however, didn’t make any claim regarding how or when United would be launching an offer. And though the 22-year-old is regarded as injury-prone, his recent performances for the Eagles, each of which has been watched by the Red Devils’ scouts, have been nothing short of stellar.
United boss Jose Mourinho has openly expressed his desire to sign a high quality defender to fill the position, despite having multiple players who could fit in the role.
Meanwhile, reports in Italy have also emerged linking the Spanish defender to Napoli, who are in the market to find a suitable replacement for Faouzi Ghoulam. Therefore, a bidding war for Grimaldo seems to be inevitable.
Written by Sidharth Jindal 
Sports fanatic with a passion for writing (predominantly football) and “Wants to live life to its fullest.” Writes about the Premier League on his personal blog.