Former Wanderers defender Marcos Alonso is reportedly closing in on a move to Spanish giants Barcelona.

Alonso is said to be keen on a return to his native country to be closer to family, and Marc Cucurella’s recent arrival at Chelsea has paved the way for his exit.

The 31-year-old’s current deal is set to expire in 2023, which means a fee would be required to complete the transfer.

Alonso joined the Whites from Real Madrid in the summer of 2010 and went on to make 46 appearances during a three-year spell at the club.

The defender left the UniBol to join Italian side Fiorentina and also went on to have a loan spell at Sunderland.

He made the move to Stamford Bridge in 2016 and has enjoyed success both domestically and in Europe with the Blues.

Speaking after Chelsea’s 1-0 win against Everton at the weekend, manager Thomas Tuchel confirmed Alonso was keen to move on.

“He tries to leave and we agreed to this wish and that’s why it would not have made sense to put him on the pitch today,” the manager explained.

“He would have been on the pitch otherwise but I think in this situation it was the right thing to do.”

Barcelona finished second in La Liga last season – 13 points behind Real Madrid, who cliched the league title.

The Spanish outfit kick off the new season with a home fixture against Rayo Vallecano on Saturday night.

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