Summary Aston Villa are preparing a bid for Barcelona defender Marcos Alonso. Alonso, 32, had a limited role in his debut season at Barcelona and his contract is set to expire soon, making this window the perfect time to cash in. Alonso's versatility and past success in the Premier League make him a valuable recruit for Aston Villa, and his previous performances at Villa Park suggest he could thrive under Unai Emery.

Aston Villa are preparing a bid to sign Barcelona defender Marcos Alonso this summer, and a new report has revealed his club’s stance on sanctioning his sale to the Midlands.

How old is Marcos Alonso?

Alonso is 32 years of age and moved to Camp Nou last summer on a free transfer from Chelsea after six years at Stamford Bridge, as per Transfermarkt, but he didn’t make the instant impact he would have hoped having been handed just 11 La Liga starts during his debut season under Xavi, whilst being brought off the bench on 13 occasions.

The Spaniard’s contract is also set to expire in less than a year meaning that the ongoing window is his side’s perfect opportunity to cash in should they not want to risk losing him for free, and that could happen because his future is currently extremely uncertain.

The Blaugrana left-back is reportedly one of three players that hasn’t been registered to play yet this term due to financial issues behind the scenes, and whilst the same outlet claim that his manager has reassured him that he wants him to stay, the fact that he’s temporarily been pushed out of the picture points towards an exit.

Are Aston Villa signing Marcos Alonso?

According to AS (via TEAMtalk), Aston Villa are “ready to make a firm offer” for Alonso this summer.

Barcelona are “willing to sell” the full-back before the market closes due to them being set to sign Manchester City’s Joao Cancelo, and his potential availability has “caught” the attention of NSWE, Monchi and Unai Emery in the Midlands.

Xavi is “yet to give his green light” on a departure, but he “could be tempted” if a respectable proposal was put on the table.

Has Marcos Alonso won the Premier League?

During his time at Chelsea, Alonso did indeed win the Premier League back in 2017 alongside the likes of the Champions League and Europa League, so he knows what it takes to compete and be successful at the required level and could be a fantastic experienced recruit for Aston Villa.

Barcelona’s £102k-per-week earner also posted 47 goal contributions (26 goals and 21 assists) in 179 top-flight appearances, with his precision when whipping crosses into the opposition’s box having previously seen him hailed “sharp” by journalist Josh Bunting.

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The Madrid native, who is naturally left-footed, is even a versatile operator with his ability to be deployed slightly higher up on the left side of the midfield and even on the left of a back three alongside his usual role, so he would be a great option for the boss to have in the building should cover be needed for any unexpected injuries.

Furthermore, Alonso has an excellent record against Villa having won all four of the head to head fixtures he’s been involved in, so if he can perform that well when he’s a member of the away side, just imagine what he’d be capable of when being managed under the guidance of Emery in this new exciting chapter for the club.