A week ago today, Record published an exclusive claiming serious Manchester United interest in Alejandro Grimaldo.
It was one of a series of transfer exclusives the Portuguese newspaper had been pushing, and then pretty much ignoring afterwards.
Grimaldo to Manchester United was a stab in the dark, if indeed that’s what it was, which makes sense. Mourinho is showing no sign he’s keen to get Luke Shaw back into the fold, and that determination may even be to the detriment of the club.
Whatever the reasoning, and there are pressure lobbies on both sides, which suggests how ridiculous it’s all got, Manchester United have something of a left back problem.
The former Barcelona youth player moving to Manchester United predictably caught the attention of many fans, it’s a popular story so will be wheeled out repeatedly.
Record’s Saturday edition says a club official from Old Trafford was at Benfica on Friday night, watching the side against Feirense. With Manchester United playing Benfica again next week, the spying may have more to do with the match than Grimaldo, but Record point out the transfer link.
Manchester United have a spy at pretty much every Benfica game, home and away, and have done for some time. All those trips clearly haven’t been related purely to the Champions League ties, given most pre-date the knowledge of such, and the spying has continued after the Victor Lindelof deal.
There seems to be a specific Benfica interest, because whilst Manchester United scout many Portuguese matches, there’s no other club they give the same level of attention.
A week ago Record said Mourinho had given his ‘OK’ to further pursue Grimaldo, and all the pieces fit snuggly in place.
And the match? Benfica beat Feirense 1-0, with a goal from the ever dependable Jonas, and Grimaldo was one of the better performers on show.
