26-year-old player now in England after Arsenal make bid, Edu wants to speed up deal to sign him – report
Arsenal are looking to take advantage of Benfica training in England to speed up negotiations with Alex Grimaldo and seal a deal as soon as possible, according to a report from A Bola.
The Gunners have stepped up their interest in the left-back in recent days. Reports at the weekend claimed that Mikel Arteta’s side had made a £5.9 million bid for the 26-year-old.
Benfica are looking for a little more. But with Grimaldo’s contract expiring next summer, it appears that they are not in the strongest position to hold out for their £8.5 million asking price.
A Bola reports that the Portuguese side are currently in England, training at St George’s Park until Thursday. And with that, Arsenal hope to accelerate talks and complete a deal as soon as possible.
Grimaldo meanwhile, is keen to move to the Premier League.
Arsenal pushing to agree Alex Grimaldo deal
Grimaldo could prove to be an incredibly smart signing for Arsenal. Of course, the Gunners have been working to sign another defender in recent weeks in the form of Lisandro Martinez.
Grimaldo is not as versatile as Martinez. But both can play in the left-back position. And obviously, the Spaniard will cost a lot less than the Ajax star. Reports have suggested that Martinez will command a £50 million fee in this window.
Former Benfica sporting director Tiago Pinto previously described Grimaldo as ‘one of the best‘ five left-backs on the continent. So he could be a fantastic addition to provide cover and competition for Kieran Tierney.
There is not a lot of distance between the two clubs in their respective valuations. So surely, there is now a good chance that this move could get across the line in the near future.
