Report: Chelsea now want to buy ‘world-class’ player, six months after Arsenal rejected the chance to sign him

Wed 2 November 2022 13:45, UK Updated Wed 2 November 2022 15:14, UK

Chelsea want to buy Benfica full-back Alex Grimaldo, after Arsenal rejected the chance to sign him in the summer.

Arsenal were offered the chance to sign Grimaldo in the summer, .

However, the move never materialised,

Zinchenko has certainly paid back the faith shown by Arteta to opt for him over Grimaldo so far.

He’s immediately usurped Kieran Tierney for the left-back role at Arsenal, although has been missing recently through injury.

His signing was so impressive that even rival manager Antonio Conte praised Arsenal for bringing him in.

Arsenal fans are unlikely to criticise their club’s business in the summer transfer window given how well they’ve started the season.

There’s a good chance they’ll go into the World Cup break top of the Premier League, and safely through to the knockout stages of the Europa League.

Chelsea want to buy Grimaldo

Chelsea now wanting to sign Grimaldo is a bit of a surprise given the players they’ve currently got in the squad.

Ben Chilwell has had fitness issues this season but is still a brilliant option on the left.

Chelsea also signed Marc Cucurella in the summer, and the Spaniard is very comfortable either as a left-back or left centre-back.

However, new manager Graham Potter is now trying to build his own squad, and has been experimenting with his wide players.

The ‘world-class’ Grimaldo would give him another option on the left, and is an exceptional wide attacker in that role.

Arsenal’s preference for Zinchenko suggests Arteta wanted more of a playmaker than bombing attacker on the wing.

It explains now why Arsenal rejected the chance to sign Grimaldo, and Chelsea may want to sign him.