Arsenal make £5.9m transfer bid for Benfica left-back Alex Grimaldo as Mikel Arteta seeks back-up for Kieran Tierney
ARSENAL have bid £5.9million for Benfica left-back Alex Grimaldo. The Gunners have been tracking the Spaniard, 26 - who employs the same agency as Mikel Arteta - as backup to fan favourite Kieran Tierney. 1 Arsenal have bid £5.9m for Benfica left-back Alex GrimaldoCredit: Getty And they have made an offer after missing out on Aaron Hickey to Brentford, according to Portuguese reports. Grimaldo has one year left on his Benfica deal and the Eagles face losing him for nothing next summer - a situation they are keen to avoid. Lyon have also shown an interest in the former Barcelona ace. It has also been noted that Arteta and Grimaldo share the same agency, which could end up being a decisive swing factor. Grimaldo has made 246 appearances for Benfica since switching from Barca's B team in 2016. He has won three league titles in Portugal, as well as a further five domestic trophies. Arsenal have already spent £83m on four players so far this summer. Arteta, 40, has been able to splash out on Gabriel Jesus, Fabio Vieira, Marquinhos and Matt Turner - and his spending isn't set to end any time soon. FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS - BEST NEW CUSTOMER OFFERS The Gunners are set to make a £30million bid for Leicester ace Youri Tielemans. Despite seeking Champions League football, the Belgian is said to be keen on a move to the Emirates. The Gunners are also interested in versatile Ajax defender Lisandro Martinez but have fallen behind Man United in the race for the Argentine.
Arsenal 'expected to submit £5.9m Alex Grimaldo transfer bid' that Benfica would accept
Gabriel Jesus' first Arsenal interview Arsenal are preparing to firm up their interest in Benfica full-back Alex Grimaldo by submitting an initial bid in the not-too-distant future, according to reports. The Gunners have already welcomed four new faces to the Emirates Stadium this summer, with Marquinhos, Fabio Vieira, Matt Turner and Gabriel Jesus all having joined the club since the end of last season. Mikel Arteta is also believed to be keen on reinforcing his defensive ranks over the coming weeks and has been credited with an interest in Grimaldo, who has scored 19 goals and registered 50 assists in 247 appearances for Benfica. Arsenal are shortly expected to lodge a formal bid for his services that could tempt Benfica into selling their man without too much hassle, according to Portuguese newspaper Jornal de Noticias. It is claimed that the Gunners are preparing to offer around £5.9million in exchange for Grimaldo, with Arteta set to step up his pursuit of the 26-year-old in the coming days. This figure would reportedly be enough to succeed in negotiations with Benfica, who would be more than happy to sell Grimaldo if such a bid is made for his signature. Benfica are said to be willing to part ways with Grimaldo in order to cash in before the expiry of his contract at the end of next season. They have already identified a suitable replacement in Raphael Guerreiro, who is set to leave Borussia Dortmund before the start of next season and is believed to be high on Benfica's defensive shortlist. JUST IN: Everton boss Frank Lampard eyes two signings and 'keen' to sign star Alex Grimaldo has been linked with a summer move to Arsenal (Image: GETTY) The Portuguese heavyweights are 'expecting' Arsenal to submit a formal offer for Grimaldo within the next seven days, which suggests that a move could be engineered well before the new Premier League campaign gets underway in early August.