Arsenal were offered the chance to seal the transfer of Benfica left-back Alejandro Grimaldo during the summer, but decided to go for Oleksandr Zinchenko instead.
The Gunners have been linked again with Grimaldo in recent times, though Fabrizio Romano, writing in his exclusive column for CaughtOffside, has suggested that Juventus could be a more likely destination for the Spaniard as the Serie A giants have recently been scouting the player.
Arsenal were clearly in the market for a left-sided player this summer, with Nuno Tavares going out on loan to Marseille, while Kieran Tierney has had problems with injuries for much of his Emirates Stadium career.
Zinchenko looks to have been a solid signing from Man City, even if he’s ended up having some fitness issues of his own, and Romano has revealed that the Ukraine international was Arsenal’s preference over the option of Grimaldo.
“Grimaldo was offered to Arsenal last summer but they decided to proceed with Zinchenko as their priority target,” Romano explained.
“Now many clubs are following him as it’s a big opportunity on the market but there are no negotiations ongoing yet; also Juventus have sent their scouts to follow Grimaldo in the last few months.”
Arsenal probably don’t need another left-back now, but Grimaldo looks a fine player who could surely make an impact for a club in a more competitive league.