From the heady heights of the Bernabeu to the Reebok Stadium in one fell swoop; such was the remarkable summer of youngster Marcos Alonso, as he moved from Real Madrid to Owen Coyle’s Bolton for around £2.2m.
Although many reports have him labelled as a left-back, the 19 year old is also just as capable playing in left midfield, and such adaptability increases the chances of more playing time for the Lancashire outfit.
Talking to the club’s website on completion of the deal, Owen Coyle admitted:
He is an exciting young player who has undoubted quality and he will bring that into our mix. I think that we have a real talent on our hands.I have said before that when we are investing money in transfers that I want to do it with young, talented players. He isn’t the finished article yet – he’s a young player making his way – but you don’t get through at Real Madrid without having a bit about you.
The Statistics
Opinion…
Andy
At £4.5m, if he plays, Marcos Alonso certainly could be a good fantasy prospect. It’s a giant hands off approach from the start for me though, Bolton already have two left-backs -albeit J. Lloyd Samuel and Paul Robinson, who aren’t very good- so it’s hard to take a punt on him.
I love a good wing back, so if he lives up to his promise, and plays regularly, I’ll have my eye on keenly on him.
Alonso, who allegedly turned down the chance of a move to Benfica, was a product of Madrid’s youth system, going on to turn out for the reserves 11 times over the last couple of seasons. His only first-team appearance came last term, where he was subbed on in the 90th minute of a match against Racing Santander, hardly time to make an impact.
The arrival of Jose Mourinho this summer signalled the end of his stay in the Spanish capital, however, and Alonso will be looking for regular action as he looks to establish himself in the Premier League.
The Prospects
There are a couple of factors to be taken into consideration as to whether Alonso will see regular minutes: where Owen Coyle sees his best position, and the tactics of the Bolton boss. As a left-back, he would mainly be competing with the veteran Paul Robinson for a place in the back four. Robinson’s no-nonsense, no frills approach may offer more solidity, but Alonso’s skill and mobility will offer greater attacking threat.
As a left midfielder, Alonso would be up against Martin Petrov and Matt Taylor for a starting place. A 4-4-2 would be hard to break into, but Coyle has recently tried a 4-4-1-1 with Petrov in the hole , which could lead the way to Alonso being something of an impact substitute at the expense of Taylor.
Coyle- having brought in youngsters such as Jack Wilshere and Vladimir Weiss on loan last January- has already shown he has no qualms in relying on less experienced players, proving himself to be a firm believer in the old adage “if you’re good enough, you’re old enough”. Going on what Alonso has said on the matter, it’s clear the Trotters boss has assured him something similar:
It’s hard for a young player at Real Madrid as they always buy players. There’s a lot of pressure to win trophies, so they don’t give youngsters or reserves a chance. If I stayed I could have been in the reserves for years, but I knew I had to go to play football at the best level possible. I was impressed that Bolton watched me in the reserves and wanted me for a long time.
Fantasy Premier League (FPL) have classed Alonso as a defender, pricing him at £4.5m. If Coyle does opt to utilise him at left midfield then the possibility of the youngster as an out of position player comes under consideration, though it’s clearly wiser to wait until the season unfolds to see how he fits in the grand scheme of things at Bolton before gambling. If he’s mainly an impact sub or given the occasional start, there are plenty more concrete options out there to plump for instead.