According to Spanish media outlet Don Balon, Real Madrid are interested in making a move for Marcos Alonso this summer.

What’s the story?

Real Madrid are targeting the Chelsea full-back and could swoop for his signature before the Spanish transfer window closes at the end of August.

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The English transfer window has already shut, but whilst markets abroad remain open, foreign clubs may still buy players from English sides.

New Blues manager Maurizio Sarri may not have yet had long enough to fully assess his squad, but given the way that the Italian coach likes to get his teams to play, it should be clear already that Alonso is surplus to requirements at Stamford Bridge.

A square peg

The Spanish defender has been a fine servant to the London club, and was exceptional during their Premier League title winning campaign of 2016/17.

However, Alonso’s Chelsea career under Antonio Conte, and what he can expect to find in the era Sarri, are two very different things. The old boss’ preference for a system incorporating wing-backs was perfect for Alonso and brought the best out of the 27-year-old.

Sarri, though, generally plays with a four man defence which requires more reserved, traditional full-backs to be in place. Alonso is very much a wing-back, rather than a left-back. His attacking qualities would be restrained in Sarri’s set up and his defensive frailties exposed.

Los Blancos boss, Julen Lopetegui, could be planning to introduce a wing-back system at the Bernabeu, in which case Alonso would be a perfect fit. 

A return to the club where his career began could be the best next step for the Chelsea defender, and the Blues have more than enough defensive strength in depth to cope with his absence.