Barcelona have reportedly reignited their interest in Chelsea defender Marcos Alonso after having failed with an attempt to land him in the January window.
According to a report from Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo, Chelsea defender Marcos Alonso has re-emerged as a transfer target for La Liga bigwigs Barcelona ahead of the summer transfer window.
Alonso signed for Chelsea in the summer of 2016 from Serie A side Fiorentina and took little time settling in as he played a key role in the Premier League title triumph in his debut season under Antonio Conte. However, the 30-year-old’s standing within the side has declined since his compatriot’s departure as he hasn’t always been the first choice under any of Conte’s successors.
While he still featured fairly regularly under Maurizio Sarri, it was not the case once Frank Lampard took over the reins, with the Chelsea legend often preferring Cesar Azpilicueta over Alonso at left-back in the 2019/20 campaign before signing Ben Chilwell in the summer last year. Following a falling out between Alonso and Lampard, the Spanish full-back was completely frozen out by the ex-Blues’ boss.
However, the 30-year-old has handed a new lease on life by Thomas Tuchel, who replaced Lampard as the manager earlier this year. Even though Alonso got a handful of games under the German, he remained behind Chilwell in the pecking order, finishing the 2020/21 term with just 17 appearances across all competitions.
Keen on moving on in search of regular playing time, Alonso has now been lined up as a summer transfer target by Barcelona. The Catalans, as per the report, were keen on landing the left-back during the January transfer window itself and had even agreed terms with him over a loan deal till the end of the season. However, their inability to offload Junior Firpo meant a move for Alonso did not materialise.
But, the Blaugrana are back in the hunt for the 30-year-old as Firpo once again looks set for an exit, while there have been question marks over the future of senior left-back Jordi Alba as well. Indeed, the veteran left-back has been linked with a move to Inter Milan, with Barcelona said to be open to a deal if they are offered Alessandro Bastoni in exchange.
In case Firpo or Alba or both end up leaving Barcelona, a new left-back becomes a necessary addition for Ronald Koeman & co. To that end, they have been heavily linked with Valencia’s Jose Gaya, while ex-academy man Alex Grimaldo has also been touted for a return. And, now, Alonso has also emerged as a viable target for the Cules.
However, Barcelona will have to contend with competition from Inter Milan, who are also keeping a close eye on the 30-year-old. A former Real Madrid academy trainee, it now remains to be seen if Alonso does end up making his way to Camp Nou this summer after having come close to sealing a switch during the January transfer window.
