- Man Utd linked with Grimaldo, Napoli set to sign Benfica ace
- Red Devils continue to be linked with various options at left-back
- Luke Shaw will hope to stamp his mark down on the position
- READ MORE: Real Madrid star says no to £87million offer as he holds out for Manchester United transfer
Man Utd have had an issue at left-back this season, but reports claim that Benfica ace Alex Grimaldo won’t be their solution as he looks set for Napoli.
Prior to being benched for the win over Burnley at the weekend, Luke Shaw had been staking his claim to fill the left-back spot for the long term having made four consecutive starts in the Premier League.
The 22-year-old even received huge praise from Jose Mourinho, as noted by the club’s official site, as the Portuguese tactician seemed to rule out the search for a new left-back this month.
However, according to The Sun, it’s claimed that the Red Devils were still keen on Grimaldo, but he now no longer looks like a potential solution as it’s claimed that he’s set for a £26m move to join Serie A leaders Napoli having also agreed on personal terms, as per O Jogo.
The Sun continue to speculate on United’s interest, while Alex Sandro and Danny Rose are specifically mentioned in their report as possible alternatives moving forward.
Nevertheless, Shaw will undoubtedly hope that he can continue to earn the faith of Mourinho and secure regular playing time at Old Trafford, which in turn could end the search for a new left-back.
The England international has put fitness concerns and poor form behind him for now it seems, and with a week to go until the transfer window closes, he could get the second half of the campaign to really prove that he’s the long-term answer in the left-back role at Man Utd.
As for Napoli, with Faouzi Ghoulam playing such a key role for Maurizio Sarri’s side for the last 18 months in particular, it’s debatable as to whether the touted Grimaldo signing even makes sense, albeit they do need to add quality and cover across the squad if they harbour ambitions of competing on various fronts.