Bayer Leverkusen right-back Alejandro Grimaldo is on Barca’s radar for the summer transfer market. Alejandro Grimaldo played as a central midfielder when he was a kid. A 13-year-old Grimaldo joined La Masia in 2008, where coaches saw his potential to be a left-back as he was good at both defending and creating on the left. He made his debut for Barcelona B in 2011 at 15 years of age, becoming the youngest player to do so at the time. Despite being talented, the Spanish left-back could not break through to the first team as injuries held him back. Grimaldo left the club in 2016 for SL Benfica in search of first-team football.
A complete modern full-back
Hansi Flick already has two left-backs in his arsenal: Alejandro Balde and Gerard Martin. The two youngsters had a good season, with Gerard Martin registering 2 assists in the Champions League semifinal vs Inter. Both of them have been key players on Barca’s left flank this season, but there are some weaknesses they possess. Balde is an excellent attacking full-back; however, his defending abilities are not the best. Martin is solid defensively but struggles to get past defenders higher up the pitch. Alejandro Grimaldo solves this problem as he is a complete modern full-back. He registered 4 goals and 12 assists under Xabi Alonso this season and created the 3rd most chances in the Bundesliga.
A player for Hansi Flick’s playstyle?
Hansi Flick’s philosophy of football is to score as many goals as possible. He doesn’t believe in total control but in outscoring the opponent by the final whistle. This requires all the players to be goal scorers or chance creators, and Grimaldo is an elite player. He created the 3rd most chances (73) in the Bundesliga and registered 12 assists across all competitions. Grimaldo knows how to get past defenders and create dangerous attacks, as he dribbled past 20 times with a 44.4% Success rate.
Gerard Martin’s future
Barcelona has a limited number of signings possible in this transfer window, and with Joan Garcia’s transfer done and Nico Williams on the horizon, Grimaldo seems like a complicated option. Hansi Flick already has two left-backs available, and Grimaldo’s signing might require the sale of Gerard Martin. The 23-year-old defender had a decent season, but Deco and Flick might be interested in a more experienced player. Although Gerard Martin has earned his place in the team in my opinion, adding an experienced player to this young squad might not be a bad idea.
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