Marcos Alonso will continue to play for FC Barcelona next season. The Madrid defender, who turns 32 on Wednesday, has settled in very well to both club and urban life, and Xavi Hernández is relying on him.
Alonso arrived from Chelsea on the final day of the summer transfer window and signed at a lower wage to adapt to Barcelona’s requirements due to LaLiga’s financial “fair play” constraints.
The conversations between Fali Ramadani, the defender’s representative, and the Blaugrana leadership are already headed in the right direction as per the recent reports from Mundo Deportivo. Although some details still need to be worked out, such as the length of the new contract, which is assumed to be at least two years, the deal is already very far along, and an agreement is expected to be reached soon.
Alonso is seen as a key member of the squad. He has proven his worth in the Barcelona backline, especially in the last match before the World Cup break began, which saw Lewandowski get an early red card, and the Spanish veteran put in his best performance of his short Barcelona career till now on that day.
After injuries to the defensive trio of Jules Koundé, Ronald Araujo, and Andreas Christensen, Alonso gradually rose to prominence during the first half of the season. Though he initially played as a left-back, he eventually switched to a left center-back, playing in the final five league games as well as the two Champions League matches.
Alonso’s ability to adapt and fill any position, combined with his decent defensive capabilities for a backup, paired with his invaluable experience as a seasoned player of the sport, makes him a very reliable sportsperson in the eyes of the coach.
Against Viktoria Plzen, he made his scoring debut. His effective response as a center-back has already left the possibility of incorporating a player in that position in the background following Gerard Piqué’s withdrawal, should there be a margin in the “fair play.”
