Marcos Alonso 'rules out Barcelona exit amid Inter Milan links'

Barcelona defender Marcos Alonso reportedly has no intention of leaving the Blaugrana this summer amid interest from Inter Milan.

The 32-year-old brought an end to his trophy-laden time at Chelsea last summer to join Xavi's side on a free transfer, but he has found regular starts hard to come by.

With Alejandro Balde and Jordi Alba providing competition for the left-back spot, Alonso - who has also been deployed as a makeshift centre-back this season - has made just seven starts in the 2022-23 La Liga campaign.

Despite his lack of minutes from the first whistle, Alonso has still proven to be a useful squad option for Xavi, scoring three goals in 29 appearances across all tournaments during his debut campaign.

The defender penned a one-year contract upon his arrival in Camp Nou last summer, but in January, Barca extended his stay until 2024 with the option of an additional year.

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Alonso's future in Catalonia has still been called into question, though, and Mundo Deportivo claims that his name was recently brought up in a meeting between Barca and Inter chiefs.

However, the former Real Madrid youngster has ruled out the prospect of leaving the club after just one season, as he intends to see out his current contract - which includes a €50m (£44.6m) release clause - until the end of next season.

Nevertheless, Alonso is aware that Barcelona's ongoing financial concerns could lead the Blaugrana to contemplate letting him go, especially if he falls down the pecking order for contract renewals.

Barcelona are under pressure to trim their wage bill by as much as £178.5m to comply with La Liga's fair play rules, but the club still intend for Alonso to form a tandem with Balde.

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Nineteen-year-old Balde is in line for a new contract after demoting Alba to the bench during the 2022-23 campaign, as Barca attempt to ward off interest from Chelsea for his services.

However, Alba's future is increasingly uncertain, as the 34-year-old's contract only runs until the end of next season, and the emergence of Balde has led to the expectation that he will be sold this summer.

A recent report claimed that Barcelona are indeed hoping to part ways with Alba in the coming months, although the defender has affirmed that he would be willing to take a pay cut to stay at the club.

Barcelona return to action against Atletico Madrid this afternoon sitting eight points clear of Real Madrid - who have played a game more - at the top of the La Liga table.