In a recent tweet, renowned journalist Pedro Almeida claimed that Manchester City have begun talks to land Benfica full-back Alejandro Grimaldo this summer. It has also been revealed that the Portuguese giants are set to demand €30m for the Spanish defender during this summer transfer period.
Open talks between #ManchesterCity and #Benfica by #Grimaldo. The Portuguese club wants 30M€ by the player. 🔵🇪🇦 #MCFC #Transfers pic.twitter.com/LHPrxBj8aw
— Pedro Almeida (@pedrogva6) July 31, 2021
Grimaldo’s Impressive Numbers In Portuguese Football
The 25-year-old had a productive season with Benfica as he managed to catch the eye with his performances down the left flank. Grimaldo scored two goals and provided ten assists in 43 appearances for the Portuguese outfit in the previous campaign across all fronts.
The Valencia-born talent did a little bit of everything on the left side of Benfica’s backline after he averaged 1.3 tackles, 0.9 interceptions, 0.8 clearances, 0.5 shots, 1.5 key passes, 1.1 crosses and 0.9 dribbles per game in the 2020-21 Liga NOS season. He even distributed the ball with conviction, as evidenced by his pass success rate of 84% in top-flight football (stats via whoscored).
The way Grimaldo has been playing of late, it is no wonder that Man City have taken notice and are willing to move in for the Spaniard before the start of the new campaign. He has what it takes to grow into a top talent under the expert stewardship of Pep Guardiola in the coming seasons.
What Will Grimaldo Add To Pep Guardiola’s Team?
Grimaldo is a quick and agile left-back who can complete some dangerous dribbles down the left wing. He is proficient at getting to the byline and can deliver a few promising crosses into the opponent’s penalty box. The Spanish talent is a capable defender inside his half as he can get stuck in with some solid tackles to make life difficult for the opposition attackers. He can also use his pace to get back to position and make a clearance when required.
Recruiting Grimaldo will be a decent move for Man City this summer as he is good enough to secure a regular starting place in Guardiola’s first XI. He would be an upgrade over Benjamin Mendy and Oleksandr Zinchenko at the Etihad Stadium. The Spaniard is primarily a left-back but can also fill in as a left-winger or operate as a central midfielder if needed.
Furthermore, Grimaldo has won plenty of trophies during his career, so he has the right mindset to help the Mancunian giants maintain their dominance in English football in the years to come. At 25, Grimaldo is about to enter the prime stage of his playing career, so Guardiola can expect to get the best out of him at the northwest of England over the next few seasons. With all things considered, the Benfica star will add a lot of quality to Man City’s backline during this summer transfer period.
