Bayer Leverkusen left-back Alejandro Grimaldo has spent the majority of his senior career abroad, moving to Benfica straight from Barca Atletic, and then onto the Bundesliga two summers ago. Going strength to strength under Xabi Alonso, he has admitted that a stint in La Liga, and in particular at Camp Nou, attracts him.
The 29-year-old has a contract until 2027, and his next may well be the last big contract of his career. No doubt Leverkusen will be keen to address a potential renewal sooner rather than later, and if not, a sale. In an interview with El Periodico, as carried by Sport, Grimaldo admitted that playing in Spain was a goal of his.
Dr. Manel Wong is currently the main candidate to strengthen the medical staff of the first team and replace the late Dr. Miñarro. @ClubMitjanit
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“Indeed, it’s a goal I have. I have it very clear in my mind, even the club knows it. I want to return to Spain in the short and medium term, and I’d like to experience being in Spain because, after all, it’s my country. It’s where I want to play and enjoy this experience, and it’s one of my goals.”
His manager, Alonso, has been heavily linked with a return to the Iberian Peninsula, and in particular Real Madrid too.
“In the end, I don’t know what Xabi will do. It’s a decision that solely concerns him. As for me, I grew up at La Masia; it’s the club where I grew as a player and as a person, and it’s the club I dreamed of playing for since I was a kid. I remember some interviews from when I was little in which I said my dream was to reach Barca’s first team, and that has always remained my dream.”
“It’s something I don’t want to get into either because football has many twists and turns, and you never know what can happen. But it’s clear, as I told you before, that I grew up at Barca, and after seven or eight years at La Masía, you always carry that with you. That’s what I can tell you right now.”
Grimaldo may face an uphill task at this point. With Alejandro Balde establishing himself as the first-choice left-back, and at the age of 21, could be there for some time. As he points out, there can be plenty of twists in the game. To his credit, Grimaldo did not have a Spain cap until the age of 27, and just 18 months later, is an established part of the squad and a Euro 2024-winner.
