Todd Boehly handed simple £24m transfer decision to begin Thomas Tuchel's Chelsea rebuild

There comes a point in the career of almost every player that a change is needed. For some, the motivation is financial. Others may yearn for a new experience in a different country. Then there are those who feel ready for a fresh challenge after several years of service at a club.

Marcos Alonso fits into the latter category. The Spaniard joined Chelsea in the summer of 2016 from Fiorentina for £24million and became an integral part of Antonio Conte's side as the Blues surged to the Premier League title. The wing-back has won plenty more silverware in the years since – such as the Champions League, Europa League and FA Cup – but not always without incident.

Early into the 2020/21 campaign, Alonso was sidelined by Frank Lampard after the Spaniard opted to head to the team coach after being brought off at half time of a 3-3 draw against West Bromwich Albion. He was later brought back into the first-team set-up by Thomas Tuchel and was in the squad for the Champions League triumph over Man City.

And at the start of this season, Alonso had to explain why he had decided to stop taking the knee before matches without consulting his Chelsea teammates. "I am fully against racism, and I'm against every type of discrimination," the Spanish international said. "I just prefer to put my finger to the badge where it says No To Racism, as they do in some other sports and football in other countries.

"We haven't talked about it. We are in the changing room, and we are like a family. I have a very good relationship with everyone, I love everyone, and up to now, we haven't talked about it. I don't think there is a need to, but, of course, if I have to speak to anyone, I will say the same thing I just told you, and I don't think there will