Marcos Alonso has committed his long-term future to Chelsea after signing a new five-year contract on Wednesday morning. The Premier League title-winning left-back has reportedly been the subject of interest from Real Madrid over the last couple of months but those rumours have been squashed with this news.
It might not be the contract extension Blues fans are desperate to see and it has actually divided opinion amongst Blues fans, especially because of the length of the deal. Alonso is certainly seen as one of the best attacking full-backs in world football but his defensive ability is often sacrificed as a result of a desire to get forward.
He came under fire following the 2-2 draw with Manchester United last weekend as he was writhing around inside the Chelsea penalty area when Anthony Martial slammed in the equaliser. The potential injury wasn’t the issue, it was how the Spanish international gingerly returned to his feet showing no sign of any pain when the visitors had finished celebrating.
However, his time in West London has been very impressive. Not only has Alonso won the Premier League and the FA Cup, he has chipped in with a number of important goals. A run in the Spain side followed these triumphs and he got his first international start down the road from Stamford Bridge at Wembley against England last month.
Following the big news, the 27-year-old said: ‘I am so happy to stay here longer and to keep playing for one of the best teams in the world. It’s been a very good two seasons and I am looking forward to more.’
It must be said that in a world where high-quality left-backs are at a premium, Chelsea have got one of the better ones. Alonso’s defensive positioning might not be the best but his knack of scoring crucial goals, mainly free-kicks, and great link-up play in attack make him a mainstay in the Blues starting XI.
Here’s to another five years of Marcos bombing down the left wing!
