"At the final stage" - Journalist says Chelsea star is close to sealing Barcelona transfer

Barcelona are edging closer to signing Marcos Alonso from Chelsea, according to Bild journalist Christian Falk.

The Blaugrana have had an eventful summer transfer window so far. They have made four major additions to their squad in the shape of Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, Andreas Christensen and Franck Kessie.

Having completed Lewandowski's signing last week, Barcelona have now turned their attention towards strengthening their defense. While they are working on a deal to sign Sevilla centre-back Jules Kounde, a left-back is also on the agenda.

It has been evident for a while that Chelsea star Alonso is the Catalans' preferred left-back target. The La Liga giants reportedly have an agreement with the 31-year-old, but are yet to strike a deal with the Blues.

Barcelona appear to have made significant progress in their attempts to sign Alonso. According to the aforementioned source, the Spaniard's move to Camp Nou is now at the 'final stage'. Falk wrote on Twitter:

"The transfer of Marcos Alonso (31) to Barcelona is at the final stage. Final negotiations are planned after the US-Tour."

Xavi's side have been forced to identify potential replacements for Alonso after struggling to reach an agreement with Chelsea. Tottenham Hotspur's Sergio Reguilon is among the players linked with a move to Camp Nou in recent days.

However, the Blaugrana are on course to sign their preferred target as they look to add to their options at left-back. Final negotiations regarding Alonso's proposed move to Camp Nou are planned after the two clubs' pre-season tour of the United States, as per Falk.

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Barcelona and Chelsea are in the United States

Barcelona and Chelsea are currently immersed in preparations for the 2022-23 season. Both clubs are in the United States, playing a number of pre-season friendlies as they look to get ready for the new campaign.

The Catalans beat Major League Soccer (MLS) club Inter Miami 6-0 in their first game in the United States this week. They have also handed a 1-0 defeat to arch-rivals Real Madrid.

Chelsea began their pre-season tour of the United States with a 2-1 win against Club America. However, they went on to lose to Charlotte FC on penalties before suffering a 4-0 defeat at the hands of London rivals Arsenal.

The Blues' tour of the United States has thus come to an end. Xavi's side, on the other hand, have games scheduled against Juventus and New York Red Bulls before they return to Spain.