Atletico Madrid are interested in signing Chelsea full-back Marcos Alonso, as Diego Simeone prepares for the departure of two key players.
Lucas Hernandez is certain to leave Wanda Metropolitano this summer, having already signed a pre-contract agreement with Bayern Munich – as per The Sun.
Veteran defender Filipe Luis is likely to follow his colleague out the exit door, with his existing contract set to expire and no offer of a renewal on the table.
In turn, Simeone’s priority in the transfer window is to address a potential weakness in his squad and Chelsea’s Marcos Alonso has been identified as the ideal man to fill the vacant left-back spot – according to AS.
The 28-year-old star signed a new deal at Stamford Bridge back in October, pledging his future to the Blues until 2023, but he has since struggled to hold down a regular place in Maurizio Sarri’s line up.
The Italian boss has rotated between Alonso and Emerson Palmieri for much of the season, with the Spaniard now set to miss out on a starting berth in the Europa League final against Arsenal on May 29.
Atletico may be hoping to pounce on his current situation and have a good relationship with Chelsea when it comes to transfers, with Luis, Diego Costa, and Alvaro Morata having made the switch from England to Madrid in recent years.
Alonso has not had the best of season’s performance wise, coming under some criticism for a lack of positional sense in defence, but he still has plenty of to offer going forward.
At times, the Spain international operates as more of an orthodox winger and is useful from dead ball situations, with a wicked left-foot delivery which has proved useful for Chelsea in recent years.
Simeone favours a well-organised, defensively solid approach at Wanda Metropolitano which might mean Alonso has to adapt in order to slot into his setup, but he certainly has the quality and experience to do so.
This particular deal could hinge on whether or not Chelsea’s proposed transfer ban is enforced, however, with outgoings unlikely at Stamford Bridge in the event replacements cannot be brought in.
