Manchester United Transfer News: Napoli Enter Alex Grimaldo Race, Latest Rumours

Napoli have reportedly entered the race for Benfica full-back Alex Grimaldo with a rejected €20 million (£17.7 million) offer, amid rumours Manchester United are interested in the former Barcelona man.

According to O Jogo (h/t Sport Witness) negotiations between the Partenopei and Benfica haven't necessarily concluded, and if United manager Jose Mourinho is interested in the Spaniard, he needs to get a move on.

The report also stated Benfica value Grimaldo at €30 million (£26.5 million), and club president Luis Filipe Vieira believes a deal will be made―he has already told scouts to start looking for a new left-back. The Portuguese giants need to recover funds after a disastrous European campaign.

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The Red Devils have been linked with the 22-year-old for some time now, and they scout every Benfica match, per Sport Witness. That doesn't necessarily mean they're at those matches for Grimaldo, but left-back is an issue for the Premier League side.

The Spain under-21 international spent the last years of his youth career in Barcelona's setup and was regarded as one of the club's brightest prospects, but due to a lack of minutes, he moved to Portugal in late 2015.

He's impressed for Benfica when healthy, although staying on the pitch for extended periods of time has been a struggle. Grimaldo has only just returned to action after his latest setback, and as reported by Planet Benfica's David Pritchett, those frequent issues make it difficult to gauge his value:

Grimaldo is an impressive player, blessed with tremendous athletic gifts, vision and tackling ability. He's also something of a set-piece specialist and regularly scores free-kicks for the Eagles.

Benfica have a superb reputation when it comes to talent development and evaluation. They rarely sell under market value and usually get the most out of deals―if they value Grimaldo at €30 million, he's unlikely to leave for less.

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But his health will be a huge factor in any deal. If he can put together a solid, uninterrupted stretch, his value could rise beyond Benfica's asking price, but it could just as easily plummet with yet another injury.

United have mostly relied on a combination of Ashley Young and Daley Blind at left-back this season, while Luke Shaw has barely seen the pitch. Mourinho is expected to invest in the position, bringing in a top talent.