5 left backs Chelsea could target to cover for Marcos Alonso

There is no doubt that the summer transfer window did not work out too well for the Blues.

With the additional pressure from Champions League games and expectations of not repeating the nightmare of the 2015-16 season, a good transfer window would have been of great use to the Stamford Bridge side.

The Premier League champions signed Willy Caballero, Antonio Rudiger, Alvaro Morata, Tiémoué Bakayoko, Danny Drinkwater and Davide Zappacosta.

However, they missed out on key targets such as Romelu Lukaku, Alex Sandro, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, to name just three and the sales of Asmir Begovic, Nathan Ake, Nemanja Matic and Diego Costa added more pressure on the club to perform in the transfer market.

Despite the opening day home defeat to Burnley and the shocking 3-0 defeat at AS Roma, Antonio Conte's men have been able to find a rhythm and are still on the hunt for four titles.

The only problem for Chelsea has been that they have not been able to provide good cover for Marcos Alonso.

The former Real Madrid man has already played more than 1200 minutes of Premier Leauge football and has started five Champions Leauge games for Chelsea.

Only Thibaut Courtois has played more minutes than Marcos Alonso this season for Chelsea, Cesar Azpilicueta is third.

The only cover for him is the Brazilian youngster Kennedy, who was about to leave in the summer on loan but did not in order to provide cover for the Spaniard.

Here we look at five players who could provide better cover for Marcos Alonso:

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#5 Antonio Barreca (Torino)

The Italian youngster would be a perfect fit for the Blues

The Italian came through the youth ranks at Torino and is slowly progressing towards making himself a regular starter for Siniša Mihajlovi?'s team. In his homeland Italy, he is considered to be one of the most promising youngsters and the future of Italian national football team.

Last season he had his breakthrough season with 28 Serie A appearances for Torino. He created 15 chances, the second most by any Torino defender, completed 29 take-ons and won 40 aerial duels.

He primarily plays as a left back and he has great physical and technical assets. His speed gives him the ability to initiate counter attacks as well as stop any potential threat of counter attacks.

Considering the fact that Chelsea mainly use counter-attacking football to score goals, he would fit in perfectly. The former Cagliari full back is blessed with outstanding crossing and short passing skills which very well complement his superb work rate.

If Chelsea signs him, he can provide great cover to Marcos Alonso as he is undoubtedly very talented. Roma, Inter Milan, and Tottenham Hotspurs have all been mooted as possible destinations for the youngster.

Also, Chelsea should be able to smoothly negotiate the transfer given that they have a history with Torino (Davide Zappacosta's transfer was hitch-free).

#4 Alex Grimaldo (SL Benfica)

The former La Masia graduate is notable for his freekick skills

The Benfica left-back is a product of the famous Barcelona's youth academy; La Masia and is regarded as one of the best young left backs in the world.

His passing skills are second to none and he rarely gives the ball away and he is also a very good set piece taker like Marcos Alonso.

Alex has really matured since he left Barcelona and is a player who is excellent in possession and decision making, these attributes have allowed him to play in midfield sometimes.

His strongest attributes are his technical ability, tactical understanding, and versatility. The only downside of signing him could be that he does not provide much of an aerial threat and lacks a little bit of experience at the top level.

But if Chelsea signs him, they are very much likely to get a future world-class player whose tactical intelligence will help him in understanding Conte's demands

There are already 5 Spanish players playing there which will help him in settling down at the club quickly.

If he arrives, he might not immediately replace Alonso, but he can surely provide quality backup and eventually he is likely to replace the older Spaniard.

The Blues will find it tough if they want to sign him because Juventus, Manchester United and Napoli all are said to be keeping tabs on the youngster.

#3 Jose Luis Gaya (Valencia)

The Valencia left-back has been in great form for Los Che

Since the time Gaya started 32 La Liga games for Valencia in the 2014-15 season, he has been on the radar of top European clubs. He has represented Spain at every level except at senior level and that is expected to change soon.

Over the years Valencia has sold some of their best players like David Silva, David Villa, Juan Mata, Nicolas Otamendi, Isco and Paco Alcacer if the same trend follows it is only a matter of time before he is sold.

A graduate of Valencia's academy, he has the profile of a perfect wingback; he can defend, deliver good balls inside the penalty area and has plenty of pace and stamina which help him cover the length of the pitch.

At the age of 22, he is yet to reach his peak and he has already established himself as a regular in a resurgent Valencia side, who are second in La Liga.

With these attributes, he should be a perfect competitor for Alonso in the Chelsea starting line up.

Gaya has a reported buyout clause of €50m, but according to several reports, his buyout clause will drop to €30m in the summer of 2018.

Chelsea is likely to face fierce competition from Arsenal and Real Madrid if they want to sign the talented Spanish full back.

#2 Alex Telles (FC Porto)

The Brazilian full-back has been brilliant and has an outside chance of making Brazil's World Cup squad

According to latest reports, Chelsea is interested in signing the Brazilian from FC Porto when the transfer window re-opens in January.

The former Galatasaray full-back was also linked to Chelsea in the summer transfer window as an alternative to Alex Sandro, but a move never materialized. Earlier this year his agent already suggested that his client could possible move to Chelsea in the near future.

The Brazilian is a very good passer of the ball with an 82.7% pass completion rate. Another key aspect of his game is his ability to deliver good crosses and with strikers like Alvaro Morata and Michy Batshuayi inside the box, Telles' crossing ability will come in handy.

He is also very good at taking set pieces and has already registered 3 assists to his name, playing as a left back in Porto's 4-4-2 system.

Tellas is also capable of playing in a more advanced position and if Chelsea signs him, they will definitely add more depth and quality which is desperately needed in the current squad as they participate in four different competitions.

The full-back has a contract with the Portuguese club till 2021 and he is said to have a release clause of £35m.

#1 Alex Sandro (Juventus)

The number one option; Antonio Conte is desperate to sign him for the Blues

Chelsea's interest in signing the Brazilian international is no secret and the club is expected to put in a bid for him again.

Last season the Brazilian performed so well that many considered him to the best left back in the world after Real Madrid's Marcelo. Chelsea wanted to sign Alex Sandro in the summer, but Juventus rejected many bids.

According to reports the Blues' long-standing interest in Sandro has been given a huge boost as it is believed that the Brazilian is unhappy in Itay and wants to leave. It has been reported that Juventus are ready to sell the former Porto full-back for £60m.

His performances this season haven't been up to par and he has been dropped many times already. Juventus CEO Giuseppe Marrota has previously stated that if a player wants to leave, the club will not stand in the player's way.

His £60m price tag should not be a problem for Chelsea, considering how desperately they wanted to sign him in the summer.

Though his performances have dipped, he still very young and at the age of the of 26, Sandro has plenty to offer with his pace and physicality.

Also, the fullback has plenty of experience of playing top-level football in the Champions Leauge and in an ultra-tactical Serie A.

If Chelsea does sign him, he can be the long-term answer to the team's left back problem which has been there since Ashely Cole left the club. But, they need to act quickly as Manchester United have also reportedly entered the race for the former Santos youngster.