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| Marcos Alonso of Chelsea during a training session at Chelsea Training Ground on August 2, 2022 in Cobham, England. |
Catalan giants
Barcelona are reportedly edging closer to securing the services of Chelsea
defender Marcos Alonso before the summer transfer window shuts down.
According to reputed
Spanish journalist Gerard Romero, as relayed by Barca Universal, Marcos Alonso is closing in on ending his
stint with Chelsea before the summer transfer window shuts down. The Spanish
defender will finally complete his desired move to Barcelona ahead of
Thursday’s deadline.
Marcos Alonso has been
with Chelsea for nearly six years but has never managed to win over the Blues’
entire fanbase due to his tendency to blow hot and cold. The 31-year-old
made over 200 appearances for Chelsea while amassing 29 goals and 23 assists
in the last six seasons.
But the Spanish
international faces an uncertain future at Stamford Bridge after entering the
final year of his contract at the west London club. And Alonso has long been
eager to return to Spain for his career’s next phase, with Barcelona his preferred destination.
Recent reports had
claimed that Barcelona had cooled interest in Alonso amid difficulties
in getting a deal over the line. But the Catalan giants have not given up yet,
with the Chelsea defender still featuring prominently on their wishlist. And
with Jordi Alba regressing considerably, Alonso is a viable target for
Barcelona.
Reports have claimed
that Xavi Hernandez will utilise Alejandro Balde as the first-choice left-back
in the 2022/23 season, with Alba dropping down the pecking order. Widespread
rumours also suggest that Barcelona might not have any qualms about offloading
Alba or leaving him as the third-choice left-back if a departure does not
materialise.
Meanwhile, Joan Laporta
had contacted Alonso to reassure him that Barcelona will sign him from Chelsea
before Thursday’s transfer deadline. And according to Gerard Romero (h/t
Barca Universal), the Spanish defender is on the verge of realising his desire
to join Barcelona before the summer window shuts down.
So it looks like
Chelsea and Barcelona have finalised the transfer fee, with Alonso on the cusp
of ending his stint at the west London club to return to Spain. It will be
interesting to see how Alonso fares at Camp Nou upon completing a move to the
Catalan outfit.
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