Inter Milan ‘could’ return for Conte first-choice Marcos Alonso — report

Marcos Alonso looks the less likely of Chelsea’s two spare left backs to leave in the wake of Ben Chilwell’s arrival, and accordingly, the majority of recent exit rumors have concerned Emerson Palmieri instead. But Italian media don’t want to make the older player feel left out either, especially as Emerson’s proposed moves aren’t really making any progress. So generous!

A report from former Transfer Oracle Gianluca Di Marzio claims that Alonso is “the first choice of Conte” in case he loses a player from the left flank, such as Dalbert Henrique, who spent last season on loan at Fiorentina, but has also been recently linked with moves to the Premier League (West Ham, Newcastle).

Conte’s preference for Alonso is well-worn transfer rumor territory, and an easy connection to make given that the wing-back failed to start just 7 Premier League matches in the two years of Conte’s 3-4-3 ruling the Chelsea tactical landscape. The now 29-year-old Alonso has not been utilized to the same extent since, with Maurizio Sarri slowly transitioning to Emerson while Lampard often preferring César Azpilicueta a la José Mourinho at left back instead.

Still, we were reminded of Alonso’s excellent suitability to a wing-back system whenever Lampard did switch to a back-three, at one point scoring 3 goals in 2 games including the winner against Spurs at Stamford Bridge, and he also saw heavy minutes during Project Restart, proving to be a serviceable backup in a back-four, too.

But Chelsea do not three left backs, especially after Ben Chilwell recovers from his heel injury, which should be fairly soon and certainly before the end of the transfer window on October 5. So perhaps linking Alonso with Conte for the nth time will prove the charm.

But no discounts!