Arsenal are understood to have submitted an offer for a new left-back.
The player in question is Benfica’s Alex Grimaldo, with Portuguese outlet A Bola claiming that the Gunners have made a €7m bid for the Spaniard, set to intensify negotiations over the coming weeks.
Given the fact that Arsenal already have two senior left-backs on their books in the form of Kieran Tierney and Nuno Tavares, adding a third player may look on the surface like overkill.
? Arsenal have now submitted a €7m offer for Benfica left-back Alex Grimaldo & are set to intensify negotiations over the coming weeks. [@abolapt] #afc pic.twitter.com/IOTdnYwnSy
— afcstuff (@afcstuff) July 10, 2022
However, it makes a lot more sense when you look back at the 2021/22 season which Tavares had. The defender has shown quality going forward, but the defensive side of his game is very much lacking, and he cost Arsenal several goals last season.
Furthermore, casting an eye back to the Gunners’ interest in Lisandro Martinez earlier this summer, it was reported that they were keen to land the Argentine because there are major concerns about Kieran Tierney’s injury record, leading the club to believe that they need another player to act as cover.
Martinez now seems more likely to make the switch to Manchester United, but Grimaldo, who is a natural left-back, would obviously provide cover for Tierney whilst also bringing some European experience.
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Grimaldo, 26, has been on Benfica’s books since 2016 when he joined from FC Barcelona’s B team.
He has since made 246 appearances for the Portuguese powerhouse, scoring 19 and assisting 50.
Grimaldo also has just one year left on his current contract, which may explain the relatively low fee being offered by Arsenal.
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This article was edited by
Conor Laird.
