Chelsea defender Marcos Alonso has told the club that he wants to leave Stamford Bridge this summer amid reported interest from Barcelona, according to 90min.
The 31-year-old will soon enter the final year of his contract with Chelsea and has reportedly decided to leave the club after six years.
He played a more prominent role than he would have expected this season as Ben Chilwell’s injury meant he was the only natural left wing-back in the squad for the majority of the second half of the season.
Alonso did quite well, registering four goals and four assists in the league this term, but it was always clear that Chilwell would reclaim his spot.
For Alonso, the reported interest from Barcelona might have been too attractive to turn down, and 90min claims that he has made an informal transfer request to Chelsea.
From Chelsea’s perspective, it is not exactly a disaster. Cashing in on the defender this summer would make the most financial sense as well unless they planned to offer him a new deal.
The report added that Barcelona will wait for Chelsea’s asking price before making their move, but they do not want to pay over the odds for a player who will be available on a free transfer in just over a year.
As for potential replacements, Chelsea should have plenty of candidates without having to dip into the transfer market.
Emerson Palmieri is expected to return from his loan spell at Lyon and so is Ian Maatsen, who spent a season at Championship side Coventry City.
The former, in particular, will reportedly be welcomed back to the club to provide cover for Chilwell as Tuchel clearly rates Emerson highly based on the manager’s previous comments.
Keep up to date with all the latest Chelsea news and opinion by following The Chelsea Chronicle’s Facebook and Twitter accounts.