Is Davies the wrong target? Real Madrid's unlikely alternative
Tom Weber
- Updated: 4 Nov 2023 17:22 GMT
- 4 min read
Real Madrid are being heavily linked with a move for Alphonso Davies - but there may be a cheaper alternative out there.
The left-back position has been giving Los Blancos headaches ever since the legendary Marcelo departed. Neither Ferland Mendy nor Fran Garcia have particularly impressed this season and the expectation is that Real Madrid, if given the chance, will look to upgrade that position.
Alphonso Davies enters the final year of his Bayern contract in the summer and with the ambitious Canadian asking for a bumper new deal, negotiations with the perennial Bundesliga champions could prove tough, too tough potentially.
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Real Madrid will be ready to pounce should Bayern make him available in the summer, but the Germans could reportedly demand as much as €50 million for him. Usually, a fee like that is pocket change to Los Blancos, but with Spaniards also targeting Kylian Mbappe - and maybe even Erling Haaland - they might have to think twice about splashing out on a left-back.
Is Grimaldo an alternative?
In light of this, El Nacional has floated a potential alternative, a Plan B, in the form of Alejandro Grimaldo. The 28-year-old made a free transfer switch to Bayer Leverkusen in the summer and has taken the Bundesliga by storm.
With seven goals and five assists to his name so far for Bayer 04, Grimaldo has outshone Davies, albeit he does play in a more advanced role. The arguments in favour of signing him are plentiful, with his being Spanish and his price perhaps the two main factors. Grimaldo is currently valued at €34.5m, making him much cheaper than Davies.
On repeat 😍#M05B04 #Bayer04 | @grimaldo35 pic.twitter.com/iNYC29jiDD
— Bayer 04 Leverkusen (@bayer04_en) October 3, 2023
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However, there are some problems. His age, for one, could be an issue, though at 28, he is currently at the peak of his powers. But at just 23, Davies has a lot more room to develop still and experts SciSports agree.
According to their data, Davies is already a much better player than Grimaldo and if he fulfils his potential, he could reach truly incredible heights. Moreover, Davies would be much better suited to Real - his counterpart, on the other hand, would be ideal for city rivals Atletico, interestingly.
Ultimately, Real Madrid are correct to target Davies, but Grimaldo could be a viable Plan B if the Canadian signs a new long-term Bayern deal.
