Barcelona defender will join Atletico Madrid as a free agent

Journalist Ferran Correas from SPORT reports that Barcelona defender Marcos Alonso is set to leave the club at the end of his contract and is expected to join Atletico Madrid on a free transfer. 

Alonso’s current deal with Barcelona expires in June, and he has decided not to renew it. If all goes according to plan, he will move to Atletico Madrid to replace Mario Hermoso, who is leaving Diego Simeone’s side.

This season, Alonso has struggled to find a place in Xavi’s lineup. He has only made five appearances in La Liga and three in the Champions League, totalling just 389 minutes of play. 

A back injury sidelined him for three months this season, and even after being cleared to play in early March, he only featured in one match against Cadiz when Xavi rested his regular starters for a Champions League clash with PSG. 

Despite Alejandro Balde’s long-term injury, Xavi preferred to use Joao Cancelo or bring in Hector Fort when Cancelo was unavailable or needed a rest.

Alonso will leave as he arrived

Marcos Alonso will leave Barcelona at the end of the season. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

Alonso joined Barcelona in the summer of 2022. Initially, he signed a one-season contract due to financial fair play considerations, but there was an understanding that he would stay for two seasons. 

This was formalized in January 2023 when his contract was extended until the end of the current season. In his first season with Barcelona, Alonso’s involvement increased over time. 

He played a total of 37 games and scored three goals. Xavi often relied on him in crucial European matches, starting him in five of the six Champions League group stage games to bolster the defence. 

In La Liga, Alonso alternated between starting and coming off the bench, frequently filling in as a central defender due to injuries to players like Ronald Araujo and Andreas Christensen, and Gerard Piqué’s retirement before the World Cup in Qatar.

As Alonso prepares for his last match with Barcelona against Sevilla on Sunday, his overall record with the club stands at 45 appearances and three goals across two seasons.