Fabrizio Romano SLAMS fake Barcelona rumours with transfer confirmation

Jacque Talbot

• Updated: 14 May 2023 18:14 BST
• 3 min read

Fabrizio Romano has blasted the fake rumours surrounding the future of Alejandro Grimaldo.

The Benfica star has moved to Bayer Leverkusen, the Italian reporter has revealed.

The left-back is out of contract in the summer and has now completed a medical to join the Bundesliga outfit.

Grimaldo was linked with a move to Barcelona, but Romano has squashed those rumours in a recent tweet, saying that there was nothing to suggest that the defender would be making the move to the Nou Camp in the summer.

Grimaldo was trained for Barcelona at youth level before moving to Lisbon in January 2016. But now the 27-year-old will leave the Portuguese outfit and find a new challenge in Germany.

He had been linked with Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund, but it is Bayer who have managed to snap him up. His new contract there will run until 2027 and he has already passed his medical ahead of a move.

EXCL: Bayer Leverkusen are set to sign Alejandro Grimaldo on a free transfer from Benfica, here we go! 🚨🔴⚫️ #transfers

Full agreement in place and contracts set to be signed very soon — medical tests already completed.

Despite fake rumours on Barça, Grimaldo will join Bayer. pic.twitter.com/aO6jLZcAeg

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 14, 2023

Grimaldo on the move

Last month, Romano quoted some comments from the player, who claimed that he had not yet made any decision on his future amid a flurry of speculation. He said: “I still don’t know my future step, whether I’m going to stay at Benfica or leave on a free transfer. I’m focused on the league, then we will see.”

But it was the reports about the player’s move to Barca that really seemed to irk Romano, but quite plainly called them ‘fake.’

The move is a bit of a coup from Bayer, who have Mitchel Bakker and Piero Hincapie who can currently operate in that position.

Both those players have been linked with a move away, with Newcastle linked to each one.

Hincapie would be of interest to the Magpies, given he can play as a centre-back and a full-back, similar to Dan Burn’s role at the moment.