Newcastle United battle Arsenal for former Barcelona player

It had looked  like Newcastle United had managed to fulfil their need for a left-back when they signed Matt Targett on a loan till the end of the season from Aston Villa. After his success in the role at St James’ Park, most fans have called for the defender to be signed on a permanent basis at the end of the season. It is believed that a transfer fee around £15 million could be enough to get a deal done.

But it looks like the club might not have Targett in their long-term plans, as they have been linked with a number of other left-backs.

The latest name on that list seems to be that of the former Barcelona player, who never made an impact at Camp Nou but has found his feet at Benfica. The player in question is Alex Grimaldo.

Once considered one of the most highly-rated players in the world, Grimaldo’s career has not gone as expected but he has done very well since joining Benfica. Now, a move away to a different club could potentially be on the horizon for the Spaniard.

Newcastle United battle Arsenal for Spanish left-back

As reported by A Bola, Newcastle United and Arsenal are both interested in Grimaldo. Juventus want to sign him as well though. His current deal with Benfica is believed to run until the summer of 2023 and it is believed that the Portuguese club will want a transfer fee in the range of €15 million to €20 million for him.

As Newcastle United continue to be linked with one left-back after another, one has to question what this means for the future of Targett at the club. At the moment, it looks very possible that they might not end up going for him on a long-term basis.

Potentially, it might just be that the Magpies want some competition in the position. It remains to be seen how things work out in the coming weeks and months.