Chelsea are reportedly willing to offer Marcos Alonso in a deal to sign Alfonso Pedraza, who is also a target for Barcelona, this summer.
According to a report by Spanish outlet El Gol Digital, Chelsea have stepped up their efforts to sign Alfonso Pedraza from Villarreal in the summer transfer window. The Blues are ready to offer Marcos Alonso in order to snap up the Spanish defender, who is also a target for Barcelona.
Alfonso Pedraza has resurrected his Villarreal career since returning from his loan spell at Real Betis. A regular under the tutelage of Unai Emery, the 25-year-old has gone on to turn out 40 times for the Yellow Submarine this term, while also chipping in with 2 goals and 4 asists.
The player’s progress over the course of the 2020/21 campaign has certainly not gone unnoticed, which is evident from the interest he is receiving from two of the biggest clubs in the world. Barcelona were the first club to emerge in pursuit of Pedraza, with Chelsea the latest entrants in the race to sign him.
At Barcelona, the interest in Pedraza is pretty straightforward. The Catalan giants are set to offload Junior Firpo this summer, with the young defender failing to make an impression since arriving at Camp Nou a couple of years ago. Firpo’s departure would beget the signing of a replacement, and to that end, Jose Gaya is one of the targets that Barcelona have identified.
However, Pedraza is a viable target as well for the Blaugrana, seeing as he could play second fiddle to Jordi Alba initially before eventually taking over from his compatriot when it is time for him to be phased out of the first-team setup. As for Chelsea, they are looking to sell Marcos Alonso and Emerson Palmieri while adding quality competition for Ben Chilwell.
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Indeed, Thomas Tuchel’s system warrants some heavy rotation, which is why signing someone like Pedraza would be a step in the right direction. And, in order to secure the services of the 25-year-old, Chelsea are willing to offer Alonso, not only to do away with his €35 million release clause but sign him on the cheap.
Having said that, it will be interesting to see if Pedraza is open to moving to Chelsea, or if he is intent on staying in La Liga, either by joining Barcelona or remaining at Villarreal. An interesting transfer saga seems to be developing.
