In a recent report, ESPN revealed that Barcelona are trying to tie Marcos Alonso down to a new contract with his current deal set to end next summer. It is understood that the Catalan outfit are hoping to extend the Spanish talent’s contract so that they can hang on to him beyond the end of this campaign.
Alonso’s Season Of Mixed Emotions At The Nou Camp
The 31-year-old is having an up-and-down season at the Catalan club but has done well to put in a few impressive displays at the centre of Xavi’s defence. Alonso has scored one goal in 11 matches for Barca during this campaign across all competitions.
The Madrid-born talent has given a good account of himself when defending inside his half based on his average of 1.0 tackles, 1.0 interceptions and 1.0 clearances per 90 minutes in La Liga. He has also been accurate with his ball distribution after making 93.3% of his attempted passes in the Spanish top tier (stats via whoscored).
However, Alonso has struggled to nail down a regular first-team place at the Catalan club this season but is serving as a decent squad player at the Nou Camp.
Barcelona Are Trying To Tie Alonso Down To A New Contract: Good Move For Both Parties?
Alonso is a solid tackler of the ball and can make some timely interceptions for his team on the defensive end of the field. He doesn’t mind putting his foot through the ball when needed and is an accurate passer of the ball.
The Spanish full-back can even deliver some inviting crosses into the opponent’s penalty box when he is playing with confidence on the field.
Hence, it makes sense for Barca to tie him down to a new contract if they want to keep hold of him beyond next summer. At 31, Alonso is still good enough to serve as a good rotational piece in Xavi‘s match-day at the Nou Camp.
Plus, he is versatile enough to play in multiple positions across the backline. He has mainly been used as a centre-back at Barcelona so far but is more comfortable functioning as a left-back or as a left wing-back if told to do so.
Someone with Alonso’s experience and versatility could help Barca compete for some major trophies in the coming seasons. Therefore, it seems like a good move for both the player and the Catalan club to prolong their time together in search of some success in the not-too-distant future.
