Report: Arsenal pushing on to beat Newcastle to signing of £17m player; offer submitted this weekend

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Arsenal are pressing on with their attempts to sign Benfica defender, Alex Grimaldo, according to a report from Portuguese news outlet A Bola.

In what would appear to be an admission of defeat to Manchester United in the race for Lisandro Martinez, A Bola reports how Arsenal have submitted an official bid for Grimaldo, thought to be in the region of the £6m mark.

Of course, that would be quite the bargain buy for the Gunners, given Grimaldo was only linked with a £17m move to Newcastle just a matter of weeks ago. Benfica, it seems, have dropped their asking price considerably as they look to bring some money in for the full-back.

Arsenal have been keeping tabs on Grimaldo throughout the summer as they look to bolster their defensive options.

The Gunners have already made big in-roads in the transfer market this summer and completed the marquee signing of Gabriel Jesus just last week. The Brazilian joined from Manchester City and has taken the number nine shirt.

Grimaldo, meanwhile, would offer versatility across the back for Mikel Arteta and at the price mentioned, will be seen as a bargain buy by the Gunners board.

TBR’s View: Arsenal Miss Out On Martinez So Grimaldo Will Do

That’s how it comes across, anyway. There is a difference in class levels of the two mentioned above but at the end of the day, the Gunners needed to get someone in.

Missing out on Martinez is a blow. They had tracked Martinez all summer and if they have indeed missed out to Manchester United, it’s a big blow for them.

However, Grimaldo seems a sound enough prospect and should do the business for Arteta for now. Certainly, for just £6m, there won’t be much better value in the summer market.