Barcelona resume contacts with Benfica left-back, planning to meet his agent soon

Barcelona have resumed contacts with Benfica’s Alejandro Grimaldo, with Mundo Deportivo claiming that the player himself is looking forward to returning to Barça.

Grimaldo, 26, has a contract with Benfica until 2023, and although the team has already approached him with renewed terms, the player has so far declined to put pen to paper.

MD believes that is mostly down to Barcelona’s interest and the fact that the left-back himself is prioritizing moving back to Catalonia. For that, the parties involved are planning to meet soon to understand what can be done out of the current situation.

Barcelona have a good report of Grimaldo as the teams have already crossed paths on two occasions this season. Particularly in the first meeting, where Benfica came out 3-0 victorious, the left-back’s performance was praised greatly.

Grimaldo, who joined Barcelona’s youth setup in 2008, made as many as 92 appearances for Barcelona B before moving to Benfica in 2016. According to what MD quotes, Barcelona saved 15% of the future sale by the time he switched the allegiance for a mere €1.5 million. 

As of today, the three-time Primeira Liga champion is now back on Barcelona’s agenda. While he is not the only left-back Barça are considering, the fact that Benfica are not ruling out a potential sale might well and truly allow the 26-year-old to move back rather swiftly.

Grimaldo has already trained under Barcelona’s youth system, meaning that he knows the demands and expectations he will have to shoulder if arrived. The assumptions might be high, but he is still waiting to see if Barça can come up with a strong offer first.

As for Benfica, they are willing to listen to offers in the summer as they do not want to lose him for free in 2023. For that reason, while they are greatly appreciative of his services, they would allow him to depart for as low as €10 million.