Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel is not considered concerned about the idea of losing left-back Marcos Alonso this summer.
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Alonso, who had been out in the cold under former boss Frank Lampard, was recalled under Tuchel and ended the season with Ben Chilwell for several minutes on the left-back – a battle largely won by the Englishman.
Tuchel is a fan of Alonso / Matthew Ashton – AMA / Getty Images
He has found his name in the rumor mill this summer thanks to reports suggesting he was fielded as a weight in the failed bid to sign Inter right-back Achraf Hakimi, who is now expected to join Paris Saint-Germain.
However, Inter have been tipped to launch a separate bid for Alonso this summer, while Barcelona have also been linked with the Spaniard, who turned 30 in December and has two years left to run on his contract.
Chelsea would probably be open to selling at the right price, but according to Mundo Deportivo, Tuchel will urge club officials not to remove Alonso as he sees him as an ideal part of his system.
Often not as convincing as a traditional defender, Alonso becomes the top Roberto Carlos when placed as a defender in a 3-4-3, and he enjoyed some impressive performances for Tuchel when he introduced the system back in January.
While it was Chilwell who enjoyed most of the minutes, including in every Champions League match after the last 16, Tuchel still sees Alonso as a valuable option while playing this wingback system … and he is even said to believe that the Spaniard could fill in the midfield.
The last part seems very unlikely. Alonso is not exactly known for his positional discipline (or his defense in general), and when Tuchel experimented with defenders in a central role last year, the nod was given to Reece James and even Emerson over Alonso, and rightly so.
Alonso is wanted by Inter & Barcelona / Marc Atkins / Getty Images
Still, it can not be denied that Alonso is an excellent alternative as long as Tuchel maintains this 3-4-3 formation, but his future may depend on exactly that as it has been reported that the boss is ready to set up next season.
Chelsea officials want to know Tuchel’s plan for Alonso as soon as possible. This summer represents the last time they could sell him for almost full value, but if the boss wants to keep him, Chelsea may be forced to start considering offering Alonso a new contract.
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