A major weakness at FC Barcelona: will Hansi Flick capitalise on it in the Bundesliga?

This isn’t the first time the left-back has been linked with the Spanish league leaders. Although Grimaldo still has a contract with Bayer Leverkusen until 2027, his contract is reportedly said to include a release clause that applies only to Spanish clubs. Accordingly, he could return to his home country for an estimated €20 million, whilst Bayern Munich, who are also said to be interested, would likely have to pay more.

According to the latest report, Barça sees an urgent need for action on the left side of defence. Alejandro Balde has repeatedly struggled with injury problems, and Joao Cancelo has not always been entirely convincing as his replacement in recent matches.

Although Cancelo was considered coach Hansi Flick’s preferred option in the winter, he is only on loan from Al-Hilal. His long-term future remains unclear.

As Grimaldo had recently made it clear that he did not wish to extend his contract in Germany, Barça are hoping that, under these circumstances, they might be able to sign the 30-year-old for as little as €15 million. Given his advanced age for a footballer, the Catalans are reportedly hoping that they will not have to dig too deep into their pockets when it comes to his salary either. 

Especially as Grimaldo himself described it as a “goal” to one day play for FC Barcelona. “I grew up at La Masia. It (Barcelona, ed.) is the club where I grew up as a player and as a person. It is the club I wanted to play for even as a child,” he explained around a year ago in an interview with the Catalan newspaper El Periódico.

The Valencia-born player spent eight years in Barça’s youth academy, La Masia, before moving to Benfica Lisbon at the age of 20. He played there from 2016 to 2023, and has been with Leverkusen ever since. 

In 137 competitive matches, he has so far scored 28 goals and provided 44 assists for the Werkself. During the 2023/2024 double-winning season, the technically gifted player was a key part of the team managed by the then-successful coach Xabi Alonso.