Although they also want to bring in some much-needed reinforcements for some weak areas of the team like the midfield pivot, for the next summer transfer window, FC Barcelona will be working primarily with one main objective in mind, i.e., lightening its wage bill to ensure that all of its players are registered.
Furthermore, the Blaugranes will have to make these sales to get their desired players from the market, with a midfielder and a forward being the top-most priorities for Barcelona.
Thus, some players will have to leave the Catalan club this summer, and one of the most likely casualties is going to be the defender Marcos Alonso.
The Spaniard has not been able to get an important position in the Barcelona squad since arriving at the club two years ago. This season, he has made only seven appearances, with injuries taking a huge toll on him.
He had to undergo a surgery last January to mitigate his lumbar problems, and has not been able to play any minutes even after getting discharged from the infirmary at the beginning of March.
His Barcelona contract ends this summer, and with all these problems, the Catalans are very unlikely to offer him a renewal. Thus, SPORT reports that he will leave the club this summer, and will join Atletico Madrid as a free agent.
Negotiations between the player and the Madrid club are going very well, and the defender can join his former Chelsea teammate Cesar Azpilicueta at the Spanish capital this summer.
If this move completes successfully, he will rewrite history, as his father also played for Barcelona and Atletico Madrid both between 1982 and 1989. Furthermore, as Alonso grew up in the Real Madrid academy, joining Atletico Madrid will mean his having been associated with all the top three clubs in Spain.
