An update has emerged on Newcastle United and their interest in signing Alejandro Grimaldo in the January transfer window...

What's the talk?

According to TuttoJuve, the Magpies are one of three teams eyeing up a potential swoop for the left-back midway through the 2022/23 campaign.

The report claims that Juventus and Arsenal are also keen on swooping for the former Spain under-21 international to bolster their respective squads.

It is stated that he could be available to sign for a fee in the region of €10m (£8.5m), although it remains to be seen how much Newcastle are willing to pay for his services.

Could axe Jamal Lewis

Eddie Howe may be able to finally axe Jamal Lewis from the Toon squad by securing a deal to sign the Benfica full-back in January, with the Spaniard potentially coming in to compete with Matt Targett at left-back.

The £50k-per-week Northern Irish flop joined the Magpies from Norwich for a fee of £15m, rising to £20m with add-ons, in the summer of 2020 and he has struggled badly at St. James' Park.

In his debut campaign for the club, he averaged a dismal SofaScore rating of 6.48 - which placed him last (24th) in the squad - across 24 Premier League appearances under Steve Bruce. He then endured a frustrating 2021/22 as he only played five matches in the top flight before being excluded from the 25-man squad in January.

These statistics show that he has flopped since making the move from Norwich and signing Grimaldo could allow the club to cash in on him in January, cutting their ties with him and admitting that the transfer has failed.

Benfica sporting director Tiago Pinto previously hailed the Spanish gem as being "one of the best five left-backs in Europe", and his statistics make it easy to see why the chief holds him in such high regard.

In the Portuguese top-flight last term, he averaged a phenomenal SofaScore rating of 7.33 across 29 appearances. He created 13 'big chances' and averaged two key passes per game as he showcased his immense attacking quality, whilst also making 2.7 tackles and interceptions per game to show that he does not neglect his defensive responsibilities.

Meanwhile, Andrew Robertson (7.36) and Joao Cancelo (7.33) were the only left-backs to equal or better that rating in the Premier League last term, which illustrates how impressive Grimaldo has been for Benfica.

At the age of 26, he is also heading into the prime years of his playing career and this means that Newcastle may be getting him at the perfect time.

If he can adapt to English football and carry over a similar level of performance in comparison to his Liga Portgual form then he could be a terrific signing for the Magpies and free up Lewis to head out of the door.