Manchester United may not be as interested in Alex Grimaldo as some reports suggest, but in case the rumours are true, José Mourinho perhaps needs to hurry.
As it’s been reported in Italy and Portugal, Napoli are looking to sign the left-back to replace Faouzi Ghoulam, who recently picked up a knee injury.
And today, newspaper O Jogo reports a €20m bid for Grimaldo has been rejected by Benfica, even though it doesn’t mean the negotiations are done.
The Eagles believe they can make more money with the player, and will wait for Napoli to come again so they can reach the €30m milestone, including bonuses.
The belief in a deal is so big that Benfica president Luis Filipe Vieira has already given orders for the club to start looking for a replacement in the January window.
The Italian side know Benfica are against the wall, since they will need money after being eliminated from the Champions League so early in the season.
That’s why Mourinho should open his eyes, according to what has been reported in Portugal. Because when covering this story today, Record recalls that Manchester United would be on the list of competitors as well.
The newspaper claims Mourinho ‘has given orders to tighten surveillance’ over Grimaldo, even though as things stand, it sounds like there’s too little time to be doing scouting work now.
We all know this story started, with seriousness, when Benfica played Manchester United in the Champions League, and Grimaldo played well.
Manchester United probably need fullbacks, Manchester United scout every Benfica game, and the Portuguese press love a Manchester United and Benfica rumour.
Perhaps the only surprise is this hasn’t all been much bigger.
