Barcelona identify La Masia graduate as Tagliafico replacement

The left-back position at Barcelona has had no dearth of suitors. Jose Gaya and Nicolas Tagliafico have been amongst the top options for Laporta’s board, but they have both had their own roadblocks.

Gaya is close to signing a new contract with Valencia. Moreover, his transfer would not be possible until the summer. Meanwhile, Tagliafico is available in the winter market, but Ajax insists on a permanent move as opposed to a loan.

According to reports from Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona have eyed Alejandro Grimaldo as an alternative to the Argentine left-back. The youngster is described as a ‘hidden’ transfer target for the club.

Moreover, he could arrive for a low price in the winter transfer market, effectively killing two birds with one stone.

The 26-year-old currently has a contract till 2023 with Benfica. Nevertheless, he is still available on the market despite being a key member of the side.

Grimaldo is no stranger when it comes to the Barcelona way. He burst into the Catalan B team aged just 15 years and 349 days, making him the youngest debutant at the time.

For a long time, he was thought to be the one to replace Jordi Alba in the first team. However, he left the club to join Benfica in 2016 for a fee of €1.5 million. Since then, he has not looked back.

This season, he has scored three goals and provided three assists in just 14 starts. Despite lacking pace, his positional awareness and comfort on the balls set him apart from his peers.

Needless to say, Grimaldo would be the ideal candidate to reinforce Barcelona’s left-back position. The player too has been vocal about his desire to return. Just two months ago, he opened up about a return to Barcelona:

“Barcelona has always been my home and I will not close the door. I won’t deny it, I will always carry my heart with me. I grew up there and it’s one of the dreams I’ve had since I was a kid.

“I lived in La Masía, I grew up there, I was educated there, I learned some values ​​in life. I developed into a professional player there indeed, and playing for Barça as a first-team member has been a dream of mine,” he told Mundo Deportivo.

We will have to look whether Barcelona can secure his move to the Catalan capital, but one thing is certain: the 26-year-old looks to be a promising -and low cost- alternative to the club’s needs.