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Barcelona will reportedly end the pursuit of Marcos Alonso and set their sights away from the Chelsea defender in the final days of the summer transfer window.
According to reputed English journalist David Ornstein, the inability to register all their players for La Liga has forced Barcelona’s hand in the market. The Catalan giants have cooled their interest in Chelsea defender Marcos Alonso as they concentrate on registering Jules Kounde before the summer transfer window shuts down.
Marcos Alonso has been a polarising figure since joining Chelsea from Fiorentina in August 2016. The Spanish defender has had some good phases and some bad, going from being a regular at one point to a bit-part player, with his error-prone nature making him an unreliable option at times.
Nonetheless, the 31-year-old has a decent tally of 29 goals and 23 assists in 211 appearances thus far for Chelsea. But Alonso has entered the final year of his contract with the west London club and wants to return to Spain in the ongoing transfer window. And his next destination has appeared to be Barcelona for a few weeks.
Barcelona and Chelsea have sparred over a few players in the summer transfer window, including players currently in the two clubs’ squads. One such player is Alonso, who wants to return to Spain and has reportedly agreed on personal terms with Barcelona.
The Catalan giants have been keen on signing a left-back in the ongoing transfer window as Jordi Alba is the only recognised left-back at Xavi Hernandez’s disposal. With the veteran Spanish defender showing signs of regression and Alejandro Balde yet to establish a foothold in the first-team squad at Camp Nou, the Barcelona boss needs another left-back in his unit.
Alonso has thus emerged as a viable target, with recent reports claiming that Barcelona had been on the verge of signing the Chelsea defender. Thomas Tuchel also confirmed that the 31-year-old had asked to leave Chelsea, with the west London club agreeing to his demands. But Barcelona’s interest in Alonso has cooled.
The Catalan giants are struggling to register their players, with Jules Kounde yet to come on the club’s books in La Liga. While Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang could join Chelsea following the latest offer from the Blues, it is unclear if Barcelona will sign Alonso or any other left-back this summer.
