It’s looking increasingly likely that Chelsea could be in the market for a new left-back this summer after a reported fallout between Thomas Tuchel and Marcos Alonso, although the bust-up has been denied by the club.
Alonso has been a regular for the Blues in recent months, filling the void left by Ben Chilwell who suffered a season-ending ACL injury at the end of last year.
The 31-year-old was taken off just before half-time in Chelsea ’s 2-2 draw with Wolves on Saturday with Saul Niguez coming on and playing in an unorthodox left wing-back role in his place.
There were reports that this led to a heated exchange between manager and player, although Chelsea have denied this.
Alonso is about to enter the final year of his current deal and looks unlikely to be offered an extension. It’s therefore Chelsea’s final opportunity to recoup some money for the defender before he’s free to leave for nothing next summer.
If he does go though, a replacement will be needed, especially as we aren’t yet sure how strong Chilwell will be once he returns from his injury. Mirror football has therefore analysed some of the players Chelsea could look to target to replace the Spaniard when the transfer window opens next month.
Borna Sosa - Stuttgart - 24
It’s not been a great year for Stuttgart who might still suffer Bundesliga relegation this season, yet no matter how this final weekend plays out, left-back Sosa can hold his head up high.
The 24-year-old is a capable defender and dynamic attacker. His combined league Expected Assist (xA) total (7.37) ranks the fourth-highest for left-backs across Europe’s top five leagues, and he’s been rewarded with nine assists plus a further two goals.
Other big clubs such as Manchester United have been linked with the defender in recent weeks, and frankly, it’s easy to see why.
David Raum - Hoffenheim - 23
It’s been some debut year in the Bundesliga for Raum who has been one of the competition’s standout players. He was one of Bundesliga II’s top performers last season, registering a league-high 15 assists and helping Furth secure promotion.
He joined Hoffenheim on the back of that impressive campaign and has hit the ground running in Germany’s top tier. He’s scored three goals and registered ten assists across the season far and according to Wyscout currently boasts the highest Expected Assist (xA) total in the division (13.17)
Angelino - RB Leipzig - 25
Angelino will be a familiar name having already competed in the Premier League with Manchester City.
He joined Pep Guardiola’s side as a 21-year-old from PSV, but made just six Premier League appearances before heading out on loan to Leipzig in the second half on the 2019/20 season.
Maurading up and down their left flank, he impressed enough to make the move permanent at the end of the campaign and he has since thrived in East Germany. Despite his size - 5ft9in - he’s a tenacious a reliable defender he often proves difficult to overcome in 1v1 duels.
He’s still just 25 and might now be better prepared for a second crack at the Premier League.
