Rolfes reacts to Grimaldo exit talk

In an interview at the Spain national team camp, Bayer Leverkusen star Alejandro Grimaldo recently confirmed that it's his "goal" to join a Spanish La Liga club in the "short to medium term".

However, Bayer Leverkusen managing director for sport Simon Rolfes is not overly concerned about losing the left-back any time soon.

"Alejandro is asked about it every international break and he says he's never played in La Liga and that's his wish. He said the same thing when he arrived from Benfica. I basically know that, but it's nothing that worries us," Rolfes told Kicker.

"Alejandro is happy here, he's integrated very well and we're happy with him. He is a very important player for us," he added.

Grimaldo has a contract with Leverkusen until 2027. Realistically, Barcelona, Real Madrid and possibly Atletico Madrid are the only clubs in Spain that could currently make him think about leaving.

Should one of the La Liga giants be genuinely interested and able to match Leverkusen's asking price, it would be difficult to keep Grimaldo.

But in such a situation, "it would be difficult for us with any player," Rolfes pointed out.