Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel has confirmed that Marcos Alonso has asked to leave the club amid interest from Barcelona.
The wing-back was not present in the Blues' squad to face Everton on the opening day of the Premier League season, with Chelsea coming out 1-0 victors at Goodison Park.
Ben Chilwell was brought down on the verge of half-time, alllowing Jorginho to step up and convert from the penalty spot.
Advert
Tuchel's side struggled to create much in the second period, with Marc Cucurella making his Chelsea debut from the bench.
The signing of the 24-year-old appears to have ended Alonso's Chelsea career, with Tuchel confirming his desire to leave.
Cucurella completed his £62 million move from Brighton and Hove Albion on Friday and was trusted as a second-half substitute against Everton just 24 hours later.
Advert
It was previously reported that Alonso was given permission to miss the Premier League opener, with Barcelona said to be interested in the Spaniard.
Chelsea boss Tuchel confirmed that this was the case, speaking to football.london.
When asked about Alonso, the German said: "He tries to leave and we agreed to this. It would make no sense to put him on the pitch today."
Speaking earlier in the year, Alonso hinted at a move to La Liga but refused to complain about his situation in London despite the interest from Barcelona.
He said: “On paper, I have a contract for one more year and that is where we’re at today. I’ve already said that I would like to play in Spain again, but it doesn’t depend entirely on me.
Advert
"I can’t complain about anything at Chelsea, but the desire to play in Spain is there.
"It doesn’t depend entirely on me and I’m happy at Chelsea, honestly.”
Alonso appears to have finally been granted his move back to his home country, with it looking increasingly likely that he will end up as a Barcelona player this transfer window.
Advert
The Blues have already acted to replace Alonso, who has likely played his final game for the Stamford Bridge side.
Emerson Palmieri remains an option for the Blues, while Cucurella will compete with Chilwell for the main spot at the club, leaving Emerson open for a potential departure.
Kalidou Koulibaly and Raheem Sterling have already arrived this summer, with Tuchel keen to make further additions before the end of the transfer window as they look to compete at the top of the Premier League.
Topics: Chelsea, Chelsea Transfer News & Rumours, Marcos Alonso, Thomas Tuchel, Transfers, Barcelona, Football
Nick Emms