Premier League club raise asking price for Barcelona target to €10-12 million

With just a couple of days to go until the summer transfer market slams to a shut, Barcelona have stepped up their pursuit of fullbacks as Xavi looks to reinforce his options in the wide defensive role.

The addition of a new left-back has been identified as the priority for Barcelona, with Marcos Alonso emerging as the top target.

However, a recent report from Diario SPORT has offered a rather ominous update on the pursuit of Marcos Alonso. The defender’s agent is currently at Ciutat Esportiva, negotiating a potential move to Camp Nou by the end of the month.

That said, Barcelona are facing some potential roadblocks in their quest to sign Alonso. The left-back was not rated highly by Chelsea, particularly due to his lack of consistency and a rather dicey spell at Stamford Bridge.

But it appears Chelsea have raised their price tag on Alonso in these final days of the transfer market. The Blues are demanding a fee of around €10-12 million for the fullback, even though the player’s contract at Stamford Bridge expires at the end of the season.

Such a figure will likely be deemed too expensive by Barcelona, who are dealing with the negotiations separately from the Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang deal.

The Catalans are demanding around €25 million for the Gabonese international. Chelsea are currently in talks with the club over a transfer fee, but it appears they are ready to squeeze a majority of the amount through the sale of Alonso.

Nevertheless, Barcelona remain confident of signing the Spaniard in these final few days of the transfer market. They could be potentially boosted by the sale of Miralem Pjanic, who has become a subject of interest from Saudi Arabian outfit Al Nassr.