£122M talking point loses the plot on Cesar Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso

Chelsea’s pursuit of Alex Sandro has spawned a popular talking point about the Blues’ outlay for failed left-backs over the last few years. This highly selective tale misunderstands Marcos Alonso and ignores the success of Cesar Azpilicueta.

Over the last 48 hours, few in the football pundit-sphere could talk about Alex Sandro’s supposed £61 million transfer fee without mentioning how that will bring Chelsea’s total spend on left-backs since Ashley Cole’s departure to £122 million. This talking point is both inflated and intentionally (some might say criminally) neglects how Cesar Azpilicueta secured the role he was never intended to play.

For starters, that sum includes Marcos Alonso’s £23 million. Antonio Conte purchased Alonso as a potential wing-back, not to play as a traditional left-back. Conte knew that he would eventually shift Chelsea to a formation with a three-man defence and wing-backs. The only question was when.

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Alonso debuted with the 3-4-3 at the Emirates in September. He did not leave the starting XI after that fateful day. He was the only Blue with any experience as a wing-back before this season. When viewed as a left-back, his deadline day signing was baffling. But in the context of all that happened after 24 September 2016, Conte’s plan for Alonso is crystal clear.

After Ashley Cole’s departure, Chelsea purchased Felipe Luis for £15.8 million in 2014 and Baba Rahman for £17.6 million in 2015. The two combined for 39 appearances in all competitions. The Blues eventually sold Luis at a loss, while Rahman remains on loan.

Luis and Rahman each had their individual struggles with Jose Mourinho. Particularly in Rahman’s case, this is to some extent another failure in communication between Michael Emenalo and his manager. However, Cesar Azpilicueta had a larger role in Luis’s and Rahman’ fate than the moody ex-manager.

Chelsea bought Cesar Azpilicueta in part to allow Branislav Ivanovic to return to his more natural centre-back station. The main intra-squad competition was supposed to be Ivanovic vs. Gary Cahill, not Azpilicueta vs. Ivanovic. An injury to Ashley Cole opened the door for Azpilicueta. After only two games at left-back, the football world recognized that Ashley Cole would have to fight to reclaim his place from Azpilicueta.

By proving himself as the stand-in for the greatest English left-back in history, Azpilicueta set an incredibly high bar for those putative “real left-backs” that came after him. Any player that can challenge Ashley Cole will not be easily displaced.

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Cesar Azpilicueta made himself the incumbent as Chelsea’s left-back. The new arrivals fell short, partly due to their own short-comings but in much greater part because of Azpilicueta’s successes.

Chelsea’s greatest error in buying Felipe Luis and Baba Rahman was not the amount of money they paid, but in thinking that they needed someone better. Perhaps Chelsea could not believe that a £7 million transfer – and a right-back, no less – could take Ashley Cole’s place in the starting XI.

But five years on, Azpilicueta remains every bit as underrated as he is personally understated. He demonstrated that he was more than a right back while standing in as a left back. And, as Antonio Conte demonstrated, he is even more than a full-back. He is a defender, one who can play at Premier League or greater level anywhere on the back-line.

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The £122 million figure makes for great headlines and hot takes. Azpilicueta has never been one to feed the #bantz. He has simply done his job quietly and impeccably, and left the headlines to anyone who cares to write (or read) them.