Barcelona Transfer News: Latest Rumours on Ederson Moraes and Alex Grimaldo

Barcelona are reportedly keeping an eye on Benfica goalkeeper Ederson Moraes, with the club hoping to scout the Brazilian and former Blaugrana star Alex Grimaldo in the Lisbon derby against Sporting CP.

According to Portuguese sports newspaper O Jogo (h/t Sport), Barcelona have been watching Ederson for some time now, paying particular attention to his outings in the UEFA Champions League. Other clubs, including Manchester City, have also been keeping an eye on the 23-year-old.

Per Alex Richards of the Daily Mirror, the Catalans sent a party to Lisbon for Sunday's big derby against Sporting, with a whole host of other clubs doing the same.

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Plenty of top stars were in action, including Victor Lindelof, who is seemingly wanted by every top club in Europe, and youngsters Gelson Martins (21 years old) and Goncalo Guedes (20).

Grimaldo didn't feature, as he's been sidelined since early November. The 21-year-old has been a revelation in Portugal. And per Richards, his price tag has increased dramatically since he left Barcelona. The presence of a rumoured buy-back clause works in the Catalans' favour, however:

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[…] He arrived for €1.5 million, signing a five-year deal. The expectation for many is that if and when he is sold, he will fetch 10 times that amount - unless he returns to Catalunya, with Barca believed to have inserted a return clause in his deal. Pep Guardiola has had him watched at other points this season

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Barcelona don't exactly need a new left-back, as Jordi Alba has a firm grip on the position at the Camp Nou. It's likely why the Blaugrana felt comfortable parting with the highly touted Grimaldo, especially if the deal included a buy-back clause.

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Barcelona and rivals Real Madrid have made a habit of using such clauses in the last few years, allowing their youngsters to develop elsewhere and knowing they could bring them back if they make good on their potential.

As you can see in these highlights, Grimaldo is well on his way to doing just that:

Ederson will also sit high on their list of prospects to watch, and for good reason. The young stopper beat Julio Cesar for the starting position and has done nothing but impress since then, standing out for his athleticism and quick reflexes.

While he's far from the finished product technically―he has to work on his blocking of shots and handling of the ball―his raw athleticism makes him an intriguing prospect. It doesn't hurt that he's good with his feet, either.

Here's a look at some of his highlights:

The Blaugrana invested in a new back-up goalkeeper during the summer, replacing Claudio Bravo with Jasper Cillessen of Ajax. The 27-year-old almost seemed a panic buy, as the Dutchman has never been regarded as a great goalkeeper and is prone to making mistakes.

Marc-Andre ter Stegen is the starter at the Camp Nou, but it couldn't hurt to add another young prospect the club can nurture and see whether he could potentially usurp the German down the line.