Chelsea eye Alvaro Carreras as Cucurella forces Real Madrid exit

With Marc Cucurella having completed his move to Real Madrid, Alonso is keen to find a replacement quickly. According to Sport, Chelsea have identified Real Madrid’s Álvaro Carreras, 23, as their leading target to fill that void at Stamford Bridge.

Real Madrid value Carreras at €50m, a figure that lines up with what they paid Benfica for him last year, and Alonso’s tactical plans are understood to factor the player in directly. Chelsea, though, want to bring Real Madrid’s asking price down before committing to a deal, with an opening offer of around €25m already turned down by the Spanish club.

Carreras remains under contract in Madrid and is not actively being pushed out, but Alonso’s familiarity with him from his time in charge at the Bernabéu is seen as a genuine advantage in any pursuit.

The Spanish coach worked with Carreras regularly during his short spell as Real Madrid manager and rates his attacking qualities highly, believing he fits the profile Chelsea need on the left side of defence.

Real Madrid’s stance for now is that any deal must match or exceed the fee they invested in Carreras, leaving Chelsea to decide whether to meet that valuation or continue negotiating a lower price as the market moves into its final weeks.

Should the two sides fail to find common ground, Chelsea are expected to turn their attention to alternative left-back targets to complete Alonso’s squad rebuild before the season begins.

Carreras arrived at Real Madrid last summer with a big reputation after impressing at Benfica, and his early performances backed that up before his form dipped in the second half of the campaign.

Cucurella’s arrival has pushed him further down the pecking order, and with Fran García already sold to Real Betis, the club appears more open than before to sanctioning a departure if the right offer materialises. Chelsea’s hierarchy view Alonso’s insight into the squad as decisive in getting any deal over the line.