Football News: Barcelona is close to signing Chelsea's Marcos Alonso 

Alonso has professed his desire to play in his homeland, with his only outing in Spanish football coming in 2010 for Real Madrid.

Alonso joined Chelsea in 2016 from Fiorentina for an estimated cost of £24 million.

Several obstacles have slowed the pace of any transfer to Barcelona, notably the Catalan giants' inability to register their already-acquired players.

That may still be the case, and it remains to be seen what Chelsea is willing to pay for the 31-year-old.

Fabrizio Romano confirms Marcos Alonso's news

According to transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano, Barcelona is very close to finalising a deal for the player.

Romano said, "Barcelona are really close to signing Marcos Alonso! Talks are progressing well with Chelsea after Cucurella deal completed, personal terms agreed months ago. Been told it's now really close. Parties waiting for Tuchel's green light but now finally confident."

The remaining significant hurdle, according to Romano, is head coach Thomas Tuchel's approval of an exit for the left wing-back.

That might happen after Chelsea's Premier League opener against Everton on Saturday evening, with Alonso expected to be named to the replacements' bench as a backup for Ben Chilwell.

Chelsea will also not try to bring Marc Cucurella to Goodison Park, even if he completes his £62 million move from Brighton & Hove Albion before Friday's deadline.

Tuchel, on the other hand, will not want three players on the left side of his backline or at wing-back in his squad, which will very definitely result in Alonso being granted permission to join Barcelona.

In his debut season, he was a key member of Antonio Conte's Premier League-winning squad, scoring six goals and assisting three more. He scored seven goals the next season and was chosen to the PFA Premier League Team of the Year.

However, things quickly went south for the Spaniards. He could not duplicate his most superb form under Maurizio Sarri, and the arrival of Frank Lampard resulted in a significant decrease in his game time.

Why Marcos Alonso needed to switch 

Chelsea is reportedly close to signing Marc Cucurella from Brighton and Hove Albion in a deal worth more than £60 million. This will push Alonso down the pecking order, where he was already below Ben Chilwell.

If Alonso leaves the West Londoners, he will have won six trophies, with the EFL Cup being the only major prize remaining from his collection.

Despite frequently polarising opinion throughout his six-year tenure at Chelsea, Alonso has proven to be one of the most effective wing-backs in the world.

In 211 games in all competitions, he has 29 goals and 23 assists, and he now appears to be in line to contend with long-serving Barcelona full-back Jordi Alba.

Barcelona has been connected with full-backs all summer but was disappointed this week when Azpilicueta signed a new two-year contract with Chelsea.

Xavi has options at right-back in Sergio Dest and Sergi Roberto, and he could also utilise Jules Kounde or Ronald Araujo on the flank if necessary.

The manager has fewer options on the other side, and it appears that position is now the priority before the campaign begins.

If Alonso does arrive, he will compete with Jordi Alba on the left side of the defence. Xavi's only other option at left-back is 18-year-old Alejandro Balde.

It was confirmed on Thursday evening that the La Liga club had missed out on signing Cesar Azpilicueta, with the Blues star agreeing on a new two-year contract with Chelsea.

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