Marcos Alonso joined Chelsea from Fiorentina on transfer deadline day in 2016, immediately proving to be a shrewd signing. The full-back, who had previously played in England with Bolton Wanderers and Sunderland, quickly showed remarkable improvement and became a key figure under successive managers. Alonso later revealed he had turned down other offers in England to join Chelsea, calling the move a major step in his career.
This summer, Chelsea experienced another busy transfer window, signing 11 new players and seeing several others leave Stamford Bridge. Key arrivals included Liam Delap, Joao Pedro, Alejandro Garnacho, and Facundo Buonanotte, while Nicolas Jackson went on loan to Bayern Munich, and Ben Chilwell joined Strasbourg permanently.
Reflecting on his Chelsea move, Alonso said: “I am very happy to be here and to be back in the Premier League. When I knew about Chelsea, I said ‘yes’ immediately. I’m ready to give my best and help the team fight for every competition.”
Alonso’s debut season was outstanding. He helped Antonio Conte’s side win the Premier League by seven points, contributing six goals and three assists in 31 league appearances. Over six years at Chelsea, he made 212 appearances, scored 29 goals, and won major trophies including the Premier League, FA Cup, Champions League, Europa League, and Club World Cup. In 2022, he moved to Barcelona before signing for Celta Vigo the following year.
Alonso continues Chelsea’s legacy of impactful deadline-day signings, joining the ranks of Ashley Cole and Claude Makelele, who also made significant contributions after joining the club on the final day of the transfer window.
