Barcelona defender has an agreement to join Atletico Madrid this summer

As revealed earlier this week, Barcelona star Marcos Alonso will leave the club at the end of the season.

There is a lot of respect between the club and the player, and his reduced playing time this season has led to a mutual understanding that parting ways is the best way forward for all parties involved.

Alonso’s contract with Barcelona ends this summer, and there will thus be no effort to renew the same.

The player is free to negotiate with other interested parties, and SER brings a big update on that front.

Agreement in Madrid

As revealed by the Spanish publication, Alonso has an agreement in place with Barcelona’s rivals Atletico Madrid to join on a free transfer next summer.

There is thus a very good chance that the player stays in Spain and continues his career under Diego Simeone.

He will be the latest on a long list of players to make the move from Catalonia to Madrid.

Some of the most notable examples in the recent past include Memphis Depay and Antoine Griezmann.

On his way to Atletico? (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

The UCL factor

With Real Madrid, Barcelona and Girona running away with three of the four UCL spots for next season, Atletico Madrid see their place in the event in jeopardy.

After all, they are in a tight race with Athletic Club for the final spot and are just two points clear of the Basque side with eight games to go.

Missing out on a place in the prestigious event will be a huge loss for Los Rojiblancos, not only from a sporting but also an economic sense. Needless to say, their transfer plans are also dependent on the same.

If Simeone’s men hold on and retain a spot in the competition, they are assured up to €40 million through television rights. That, coupled with some key departures, could make way for big signings including Alonso.