Alejandro Grimaldo, one of the standout performers for Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen last season, opened up about his hectic summer transfer window in an interview on El Larguero. The Spanish full-back
revealed that there was a possibility of joining Real Madrid, while also holding talks with both Barcelona and Atlético Madrid.
“Sign for Real Madrid? There was always the possibility of going to Madrid with Xabi Alonso, but in the end it didn’t happen. They signed Álvaro Carreras and the opportunity to go with Xabi didn’t come up,” Grimaldo explained.
The Spain international confirmed that he had spoken with Alonso about the move when his coach was still in Germany:
“Xabi Alonso and I had a few conversations when I was still at Bayer Leverkusen… but nothing beyond that. He had to get to Valdebebas and see how everything was going to get organized.”
Grimaldo also revealed that Barcelona and Atlético Madrid had shown serious interest. A former La Masia graduate, he admitted:
“There was perhaps a chance to go to Barça, but it didn’t happen.”
On Atlético’s approach, he added:
“There have been conversations with Atlético de Madrid, but as you can see, practically nothing has happened.”
Reflecting on the missed opportunities, the 30-year-old said:
“Did I have the option of Madrid and Barcelona? There are always options and things are discussed, but if they don’t work out in the end, it’s because they weren’t meant to be.
“We have to face the challenge of being here with a lot of motivation.”
