Marcos Alonso’s stock continues to rise as the Chelsea left wing-back has been tenously linked with Barcelona this morning, following further tenuous links last month with PSG and a couple other unnamed top Premier League clubs.

This latest report comes from Goal’s Nizaar Kinsella and Ignasi Oliva, their Chelsea and Barcelona correspondents, respectively, and it contains that standard ifs and coulds and maybes and potentials and possibilities. But the fact that it’s Barcelona will surely be looked upon as a “flattering” achievement, just as when César Azpilicueta was briefly linked last summer. After all, bad players generally do not get linked with big money moves to the best teams.

Barca like Alonso and think he could go back to being a CB. He's only one of many names on their list which notably also includes Ajax's de Ligthttps://t.co/Ibn0Y4nKny #CFC — Nizaar Kinsella (@NizaarKinsella) April 25, 2018

Barca would apparently want Alonso not for his wing-play, but rather for his combination of height and skills and versatility and defensive awareness and are “eyeing” him as a potential long-term replacement for center back Gerard Pique. This actually makes some sense, especially for La Liga and Barcelona’s unique style, though Marcos has only played the position sparingly so far in his career and not since leaving Fiorentina.

Alonso, who recently won his long-overdue first cap for Spain and was named to the PFA’s Premier League Team of the Year is unlikely to be high on the list of transfers Chelsea would want to sign off on this summer — left back with him and Emerson is now a position of strength, in fact — but the report does mention that the link could motivate the Blues to offer new and improved terms on the contract he signed two years ago. Then again, Alonso should not be anywhere near high priority in this regard either, with Courtois and Conte entering the final year of their contracts and Hazard and Azpilicueta entering the final two years.

In any case, not much to worry about or get excited about, depending on your perspective, in Marcos following in his grandfather’s footsteps and putting on the famous Blaugrana shirt.