With Kieran Tierney’s injury problems and Nuno Tavares’ rumoured move away on loan, Arsenal have been linked with yet another left back.
Mikel Arteta clearly feels the need to add depth in the left-back position, and according to Ekrem Konur, talks have been held with Alejandro Grimaldo.
The Spaniard, currently at Benfica, would fit in seamlessly at Arsenal and would ease the fans’ concerns about what happens when their side’s first choice left-back is out of action.
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Since arriving in North London, Tierney has had to deal with a variety of different injuries which has limited his game time for the club.
As a result, Arteta has had to utilise backup left-back Tavares, or even experiment with Granit Xhaka out of position.
These different trials have had varying levels of success for the Gunners — most notably with Tavares being hauled off at half-time away to Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup.
Grimaldo would therefore be welcomed to the red side of North London with arms wide open.
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Despite being a well-known name around the continent for a long time, Grimaldo is still only 26 and could be a mainstay in the Arsenal squad for years to come if a move materialises.
The Spaniard had previously been linked with a move to Manchester City and this could suggest a reason why Arteta has taken note of the player.
Having previously worked with Pep Guardiola at City, who even went on a scouting trip to watch Grimaldo, Arteta may value his former boss’ seal of approval on the full back.
It remains to be seen whether these links will develop into anything concrete but the move shows Arsenal’s need for a left-back.
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With the club also looking seriously at Lisandro Martinez, it seems like Arteta realises the importance of having a deputy for Tierney and will be pursuing one this summer.
Thomas Schlachter