Barcelona Continues Their Raid on Chelsea’s Backline With Alonso Next on the List

As reported by Marca; it is said that FC Barcelona are thinking about bringing Chelsea’s Marcos Alonso to Camp Nou this summer. Ahead of the new season, Barcelona will be looking to add more quality to an already growing squad under coach Xavi Hernandez.

Given their defensive plight, the Catalan giants will be keen on bringing in new defenders, with left-back in particular. The signing of Alonso could provide extra competition for Jordi Alba, who is the club’s first-choice left-back.

Mundo Deportivo further states Barca’s desire to sign defenders to reinforce the backline in every way possible and that they want to sign Alonso’s Chelsea teammate, Cesar Azpilicueta. FC Barcelona has been quite successful with its January signings and they will hope to follow the same path of success by making cost-effective transfers ahead of the 2022-23 season.

Marcos Alonso is said to be on Barcelona’s radar along with Azpilicueta?

Marcos Alonso has a few months left on his contract with Chelsea. He joined the West London side in the summer of 2016. However, nearly six years ago he was judged as being an inconsistent performer for the Blues.

Regardless, the Spaniard has excelled in his recent stint so far, being a fantastic resource on the left side of the pitch but at the expense of Ben Chilwell, who is out for the remainder of the season since picking up a cruciate ligament injury in his knee. The Spaniard has made 42 appearances, scored four goals, and provided five assists for Chelsea across all competitions this season.

Azpilicueta on the other hand is known for his notable defensive role. He is another decorated player in the modern-day history of the club. The 32-year-old has made over 450 appearances while being at Stamford Bridge. He has won every other title with the West Londoners.

Despite his calm demeanor, Azpilicueta is an attacking weapon for Chelsea and a threat in set-pieces. He epitomizes the complete defender with his style of play and is quite a versatile player, given he is a center-back and he can also play on the right side of the defensive line.

The departure of Roman Abramovich has left Chelsea handicapped. The club has been caught up in a vacuum full of difficulties. However, it doesn’t seem to have moved Alonso. He is adamant he would like to stay at the Bridge and it was never his intention to leave.

Alonso was talking about his current situation at Chelsea and the possibility of a Barcelona transfer:

"I have always had interest from other clubs but, to be honest, it was never my intention to leave Chelsea.Why not [stay longer at Chelsea]? For me, I still have another year-and-a-half on my contract.(Via: @FabrizioRomano)"

But there have been conflicting reports making their rounds: they have indicated Alonso is willing to join the Spanish side in the summer. Barcelona and Alonso have also stayed in contact with each other in the past. A decision on his future is far from decided.

Furthermore, Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger are both uncertain about their future, with the latter said to have already agreed to personal terms with Real Madrid and making his intentions clear about not signing a new deal with the Blues.