"Barcelona have already reached an agreement" - Fabrizio Romano says Barca are waiting for final price tag to sign Chelsea star
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has revealed Barcelona have reached an agreement with Chelsea's Marcos Alonso and are awaiting the final price.
The Spanish defender still has a year left on his contract with the Blues but is on his way to the Camp Nou this summer.
He's reportedly told the club of his desire to leave, having also reached personal terms with the Blaugrana, who are now only waiting for his price.
Alonso's market value is estimated to be €15 million but some reports suggest Chelsea could demand at least €20 million.
#CFC Marcos Alonso has confirmed again to Chelsea his plan to leave the club this summer. Barcelona have already reached an agreement on personal terms with Marcos. 🇪🇸 #CFC
Barça are waiting for final price tag - while Azpilicueta has still Barcelona two-year deal bid available.
Barcelona are looking for a new left-back with Jordi Alba in the twilight of his career and Alex Balde still too young to become a regular. Hence, the Spaniard has emerged as an attractive prospect.
The Catalans are also interested in Blues captain Cesar Azpilicueta, who has a two-year deal on the table from the La Liga giants but hasn't agreed to it yet. His contract too runs out next June and he has been linked with Barcelona for a while now.
Both have played for the west London club for quite some time. Azpilicueta joined in 2012 while Alonso has been there since 2016.
Losing the duo in the same transfer window will be a huge blow to the Stamford Bridge outfit, especially with Antonio Rudiger also joining Real Madrid and Andreas Christensen leaving.
Chelsea will have to revamp their defense
If Barcelona pull off both the Alonso and Azpilicueta deals, then Chelsea will be left devoid of options in defence, with centre-backs Rudiger and Christensen having already left the club.
The Blues will then have to spend big in the market to reassemble a stoic backline to be able to compete for trophies again next season.
(CHELSEA DEFENDERS): Marcos Alonso and César Azpilicueta will meet with Chelsea next week to resolve their futures.🔄 (CHELSEA DEFENDERS): Marcos Alonso and César Azpilicueta will meet with Chelsea next week to resolve their futures.
• Both want to join Barcelona but there is more optimism about Alonso's arrival although Azpi's signing is not ruled out.
Via (🟢): @ferrancorreas [sport]
With a new owner now at the helm, it will be interesting to see how much head coach Thomas Tuchel will be given to spend. Reports suggest Todd Boehly is ready to hand him £200 million for the summer.
There could also be more key departures that will boost their transfer budget as Christian Pulisic and Romelu Lukaku are both linked with an exit.
While Lukaku could return to Inter Milan on loan, Pulisic could depart permanently.