There is not much time left for the transfer window to get close, and if the London club Chelsea are to sign a player, this is the perfect time to act. The Blues so far have signed two players, namely, N’Golo Kante and Michy Batsuayi. Well, this is no secret that the Blues do need reinforcement in a couple of areas, most notably, on the left flank and in the centre back.
Recently, the reports suggested that the manager, Antonio Conte, has set his sights on AC Milan’s highly rated centre-back Alessio Romagnoli and he even offered £35m to the Italian side, but their bid was immediately rejected by the San Siro side and they further went on to say that the player is not for sale.
For the left spot, two names have popped out in the news; the first being the Wolfsburg’s left back Ricardo Rodriguez and the second one is the Madrid-born Fiorentina left-back Marcos Alonso. According to the Telegraph, the utmost reason Conte is chasing the defender is his previous experience of the Premier League. With Branislav Ivanovic struggling to make an impact, a partner for Cesar Azpilicueta is needed and if Conte thinks Alonso is the one, then he might really be the one.
Who is Marcos Alonso?
Born in Madrid, Spain, Alonso joined the youth academy of Real Madrid and went on to represent the club at every youth levels. In 2008, the player reached Real Madrid Castilla which competed in Segunda División B and went on to make 39 appearances for the side. In April 2010, the player made his senior debut for Real Madrid under their then manager Manuel Pellegrini.
In July 2010, as a 19-year-old, the Spaniard joined the Premier League side Bolton Wanderers. The left back scored his first goal for the side in March 2012 and in the 2012-13 season, he was voted The Bolton News’ player of the year. After making 46 appearances during his three years of tenure with Bolton, he was transferred to the Italian side Fiorentina in May 2013.
After making nine appearances, he was sent again into the Premier League (Sunderland) in January 2014 on loan until the end of the campaign. He spent five months on loan at Sunderland and helped them to retain their Premier League stature and then returned to Fiorentina. He recently completed his second season with the club and has 74 appearances to his name.
Style Of Play-
Marcos Alonso Mendoza isn’t the most coveted player in the industry, but he is the kind of player, who could get the job done. At 6ft 2in, the player is an obvious aerial threat for the opposition. Like many young defenders in the industry, Alonso loves to get forward at times and never forgets to do his defensive duties.
He has enjoyed a great time at Fiorentina and has cemented a permanent spot at the club, and even at Chelsea, he could bring the much-needed stability at the fullback spot. His arrival at the Bridge would see Azpilicueta being shifted to the right spot, then the team might play with a perfect balance.
Furthermore, he is the kind of player, who loves to test the goalkeepers much often and his five-goal tally with Fiorentina solely helps his case. Even during his time with Sunderland, where he failed to grab the goal, he was praised for his attacking prowess and at the same time, his defensive skills as well. Alonso is a passionate footballer, who loves to stay in the game all the time and his desire helps him to stay composed on the field. He is not the one who commits fouls much often, but his pace is something where he needs to work.
Again, during his time at Sunderland, he usually got overpowered by the pacy wingers like Gerard Deulofeu Lennon and other. And right at this very moment, Premier League is all about pace and the players like Coutinho, Alexis Sanchez and Martial could easily cut the comedy for the player. But, on the other hand, he knows how to stand his authority and while guarding the backline, he is a pleasure to watch.