Real Madrid remain interested in Marcos Alonso — report

Marcos Alonso may have signed a new five-year contract recently, and he may be mired in a slight dip in form after two solid seasons as Antonio Conte’s title-winning left wing-back, but neither of those things have prevented him from being the subject of the latest rumblings from Spain, where they claim that he remains a potential transfer target for Real Madrid, his boyhood club.

According to Spanish newspaper AS (via Inside Futbol), it is in fact this perceived threat to his starting role (from Emerson, who’s finally making a bit of push for minutes after 12 months at Chelsea) that could make Alonso a potential transfer target — especially if Chelsea miss out on the Champions League and could be undergoing yet another overhaul.

Real Madrid were in dire straits at the beginning of the season, but their fortunes have slowly turned around since sacking Julen Lopetegui (who apparently advised the club against going after Alonso) and replacing him with former Real Madrid B manager Santiago Solari, who may not have such reservations about the former Real Madrid academy prospect.

As much as this transfer seems like a non-starter at this point, for various reasons (including being under long-term contract at age 28), but it’s not the first time Alonso’s been linked with a return to Spain, so it’s perhaps one to keep an eye on as we get closer to the end of the season.