Barcelona cool interest in Alejandro Grimaldo

Barcelona will not pursue a move for 26-year-old Spanish left-back Alejandro Grimaldo in the summer, with the option of signing Jose Gaya emerging again.

According to a report by Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo, Alejandro Grimaldo is no longer a target for Barcelona heading into the summer transfer window. The Catalan giants have turned their attention towards Jose Gaya and Marcos Alonso, with the Spanish left-back likely to remain at Benfica.

Alejandro Grimaldo has found a stable footing in his career since leaving Barcelona to join Benfica in January 2016. The 26-year-old has come leaps and bounds in the last six years, establishing himself as one of the best left-backs in the game at the moment.

The Spanish defender has enjoyed a solid 2021/22 campaign, chipping in with six goals and nine assists in 48 appearances thus far. But Grimaldo faces an uncertain future at Benfica, with his deal running out next year. Such a development had alerted Barcelona, while the Portuguese giants are scrambling to extend his stay at the club.

Barcelona will look to add a new left-back to their squad in the summer as there is no competition for Jordi Alba in the first-team setup at Camp Nou. While Alejandro Balde is primed for big things, he is yet to settle down in the first-team squad, meaning Alba is the only natural left-back at Xavi’s disposal.

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Barcelona initially planned to pursue a move for Jose Gaya before cooling their interest after reports claimed he wanted to extend his Valencia contract. But there have been suggestions this week that Gaya could be available for a summer transfer, although the Catalan giants have rejected the chance to land the Spanish left-back.

Grimaldo was thus a viable target for Barcelona, with recent reports claiming they were stepping up their efforts to land the 26-year-old. But Barcelona will not launch the offensive for Grimaldo, with Mundo Deportivo claiming Gaya remains an option for them.

At the same time, Chelsea left-back Marcos Alonso has become the priority target for Barcelona, with the Spaniard keen on returning to La Liga in the summer transfer window. So it looks like Grimaldo could stay put at Benfica unless another club emerges in his pursuit ahead of the 2022/23 season.