Marcos Alonso ‘will arrive’ at Atletico Madrid on loan from Chelsea in January — report

Remember Marcos Alonso? He’s still a Chelsea player, and a Chelsea player with a fairly long contract still to boot: 2.5 years in fact with the club having signed him to what now looks like a rather silly long-term contract extension two years ago.

In fairness, at the time, it looked like a wise enough move, as he had ruled the Chelsea left flank the previous 2.5 years. But soon after he’d lose his place, first to Emerson under Sarri, then to Cesar Azpilicueta last season and now to Ben Chilwell. And while Alonso was at first considered the backup to the new arrival at left back, that’s not been the case since the (don’t-call-it-a-)fallout with Lampard post-West Brom. The 29-year-old has not seen a single minute of action since the first half of that 3-3 draw, and has only made the bench four times, all in the Champions League where everyone makes the bench.

All that to say that of the players who are part of the bloat on the fringes of the squad, Alonso is the most fringiest of all.

Given the financials of his contract situation, any transfer is quite unlikely be that in January or July, and even a loan would likely require a wage-subsidy from Chelsea. And that’s indeed part of the rumor that’s come out of Spanish rumor-mongers El Chiringuito, who claim that Alonso will be arriving at Atletico Madrid this January for a half-season loan with Chelsea paying half his wages.

Marcos Alonso isn’t exactly the first left back one might think of for a Diego Simeone-coached team, but our next Champions League opponents have been playing a bit more proactive football this season — and to great effect, leading La Liga at the moment. Their ridiculously good defense remains well intact (by far the fewest goals conceded in La Liga with just 5 thus far), and they trail only Barcelona and Real Madrid in goals scored, and only by 2 and 1, respectively.

So as silly as this rumor might sound like at first, it’s not as silly this season as it might’ve been in seasons past. Atleti have been playing center back Mario Hermoso at left, preferring him ahead of young Renan Lodi. Meanwhile, right back Kieran Trippier, once of Tottenham, has just been done for betting charges and banned for 10 games. Alonso isn’t a right back, but he could provide depth on the opposite flank for a more versatile player, for example.

Or this all just might be nonsense, which it probably is, like the vast majority of transfer rumors.