Real Madrid have identified Chelsea defender Marcos Alonso as the ideal understudy to left-back Marcelo but fear a deal is out of their reach, reports Marca.
Alonso, 26, only joined Chelsea at the start of the season and his arrival from Fiorentina raised eyebrows in the Premier League following an extremely underwhelming stint at Bolton and Sunderland in the past.
The Spaniard has, however, emerged as a key player for Chelsea in their race towards the Premier League title and his performances have now caught the eye of European giants Madrid.
Coincidentally, Alonso started his career with Madrid before moving to Bolton in 2010 after failing to make the grade with Los Blancos.
Florentino Perez has been keen to sign another left-back to provide adequate protection for Marcelo for the last 18 months but fear any deal to bring Alonso back to the club would not be possible simply because he has only just arrived at Stamford Bridge.
Alonso has not only proved a capable defender but he has also weighed in with some important goals, scoring four and registering two further assists in 23 league appearances. In fact, only West Brom veteran Gareth McAuley has scored more goals (6) of all defenders in the Premier League this season.
For more stats on Marcos Alonso, click here to visit his WhoScored player page
