Marcos Alonso puts Barcelona in a tight spot

Spanish football club Barcelona may have to pay compensation to two different clubs over the transfer of former Chelsea defender Marcos Alonso, according to reports in Spain. Alonso joined Barcelona in September 2022 after his contract with Chelsea was terminated. The Spanish defender is currently under contract with Barcelona until 2024.

Last month, fourth division side Union Adarve demanded a fee of €103,000 over Alonso’s transfer from Chelsea to Barcelona. Union Adarve claimed they had evidence of meetings between Chelsea and Barcelona over their negotiations for Alonso. The negotiations reportedly played a part in engineering Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s move to Chelsea in 2022 for £10m and Alonso.

Alonso played for Union Adarve at youth level, and his former club believes they have a strong case against Barcelona. Union Adarve has filed a complaint against Barcelona for fraud with FIFA’s Dispute Resolution Chamber over the transfer.

Now, Mundo Deportivo reports that Alonso’s former club Bolton has also come forward and is demanding compensation over his “training rights.” Alonso played for Bolton from 2010 to 2013 before completing his move to Serie A side Fiorentina. The League One club believes they are entitled to compensation from Barcelona, but it is unclear if Bolton’s case is connected to the one made by Union Adarve.

It is reported that Alonso took a significant pay cut to sign for Barcelona amid the La Liga club’s financial struggles. The 32-year-old has a €50m release clause included in his contract with the club.

Barcelona has not yet made any official statement regarding the compensation claims from Union Adarve and Bolton. However, the club could potentially face further financial penalties if they are found guilty of any wrongdoing in the transfers of Alonso and Aubameyang.