Arsenal have enquired about chances of move for defender – Has same agency as Arteta

Arsenal are interested in the signing of Benfica left-back Alex Grimaldo, according to reports from the Portuguese media on Friday.

Newspaper Record claims the Gunners have ‘an eye’ on the 26-year-old and ‘already questioned both the representatives as the player’ regarding the possibility of the transfer.

The story claims Benfica want to make between €7-8m with the sale. That may sound like a very cheap price for a player who’d cost a lot more in previous years, but there’s a reason why Arsenal believe the amount is ‘high’.

Grimaldo hasn’t been having a good relationship with Benfica, and because his contract expires in 2023, the club was thinking of letting him go for free, meaning the Gunners are still thinking if the investment is worth it.

Record claim Mikel Arteta, who’s Grimaldo’s compatriot, wants an extra left-back in his squad with the player’s qualities, with it said they’re both represented by the same agency, Wasserman.

This wouldn’t be the first surprising transfer of a full-back from the Eagles to the Gunners, following Nuno Tavares’ quite sudden move to Arsenal last summer on an €8m deal.