Over the summer, reports strongly suggested that Grimaldo would call curtains on his Bayer Leverkusen career – which began in 2023 – by marking a return to Spain. Speculation indicated that he would reunite with former Bundesliga-winning Leverkusen head coach Xabi Alonso, who signed a three-year deal with 15-time Champions League winners Real Madrid. With Ferland Mendy, who played a pivotal role in Madrid's Champions League and La Liga double successes in 2021-22 and 2023-24, dealing with recurring injury issues, and Fran Garcia not nearly convincing enough to seal his spot in the starting lineup despite being impressive at the Club World Cup. Ultimately, they opted to sign Alvaro Carreras from Benfica, with the €50 million (£44m/$58m) signing enjoying a brilliant start to the season.
On the other hand, there were also rumours of a return to his former club Barcelona, with media reports indicating a strong possibility of the defending La Liga champions triggering his cut-price €18m (£16m/$21m) release clause. The Catalans wanted to reinforce the defensive depth, but financial constraints prevented them from making any move.
"There was always the possibility of going with Xabi, but in the end it didn't happen," Grimaldo said back in October. "They signed Carreras. There was also the possibility of going to Barcelona, which also didn't happen. You have to face the challenge of being here with a lot of motivation. There are always options, things are talked about. But if they don't happen in the end, it's because they weren't meant to be.
"Atletico is the same; there have been talks, but practically nothing has happened. In the end, in the transfer market, when left-backs are needed, they talk to agents and there may be a possibility, but it hasn't happened."
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