Chelsea 'desperate to keep Marcos Alonso despite Barcelona interest'

Chelsea head coach Thomas Tuchel has reportedly indicated that he wishes to keep Marcos Alonso at Stamford Bridge.

The majority of the Spaniard's 17 appearances last season came after Tuchel had replaced Frank Lampard as head coach in January.

While the 30-year-old is still regarded as second choice behind Ben Chilwell, it appears that the Spaniard could be kept in West London.

According to reports in his homeland, Tuchel regards Alonso as an important member of the squad due to his versatility.

As well as the left-sided player still having two years left on his contract, any interested clubs may struggle to match his wage demands and Chelsea's asking price.

Barcelona and Inter Milan are both said to be monitoring the situation.