Alejandro Grimaldo explains why he’s never made Barcelona return

Alejandro Grimaldo has been regularly linked with a move back to Barcelona throughout his career but says it’s never really been an option.

The defender admits he would have happily come back to the Camp Nou but claims Barcelona were never really seriously interested - despite the regular rumors.

“I have always said that Barça was a club to which I could return... that is, I would like to return because it is Barça,” he told Jijantes.

“In the end I grew up there as a player and I was very happy to have been in their youth system. But the truth is that Barça did not show interest in me,.

“There were conversations, but they never showed interest beyond a conversation between the agent and the club but without going further. They stayed focused on the two full-backs they already had and did not evaluate other options. In the end we knew that there was a fixed full-back in my position.”

Grimaldo left Barca for Benfica all the way back in 2016. He secured a move to Bayern Leverkusen last summer in a deal worth around €12 million.