Barcelona now expect to complete the signing of Chelsea left-back Marcos Alonso, the PA news agency understands. Marc Cucurella’s £60million arrival at Chelsea has paved the way for Alonso to make the move back to Spain that he has craved for some months.
Alonso is understood to want to return to his native Spain to be closer to family, and his impending switch will bring down the curtain on six years in west London.
Chelsea are thought to have been understanding of Alonso’s desire to return to Spain, and have long been in dialogue with Barcelona over a deal.
The 31-year-old’s Chelsea contract expires in summer 2023, leaving a small fee required to complete the deal. Chelsea secured captain Cesar Azpilicueta on a new two-year deal on Thursday night, ending Barcelona’s designs on a double defensive swoop from the Blues.