Benfica set to start talks for new left back

With contract talks with current starting left back Alex Grimaldo not moving forward, Benfica are already looking at options to replace the 27 year old Spaniard who is set to become a free agent at the end of this current season and are ready to begin talks with Brazilian club Atletico Mineiro for Guilherme Arana.

The 25 year old suffered a left cruciate ligament injury in September costing him a chance to represent Brazil in World Cup 2022, with no timeline yet to on his potential return, Arana could yet miss at least the first few months of the Brazilian league season. Benfica are hoping that acquiring the left back while his value is low will pay off dividends for the club in the future.

Arana would be looking to make amends after his first failed trip to Europe in which he joined Sevilla in January 2018 but appeared in only twenty-five games across all competitions for the Spanish club, spending most of his time away on loan. Arana returned permanently to Brazil in the summer of 2021 making his loan at Mineiro permanent after spending 18 months with the club.