Chelsea join transfer race for Marc Cucurella amidst Manchester City interest
According to Spanish journalist Albert Roge on Twitter (h/t The Express), Chelsea have entered the race for the services of Brighton star Marc Cucurella amidst interest from Manchester City for a transfer. He has taken the Premier League by storm, having been an instant hit at Amex Stadium after joining them at the beginning of this season.
Cucurella has taken no time to express his quality with Brighton and Hove Albion after leaving Getafe last summer. His performances have earned him his club’s Player of the Year award, showcasing how good he has been for them. The Blues have been left impressed and have turned their gaze towards him, with Man City also being in the mix.
Tottenham Hotspur are also plotting to beat off the competition and finalise a move for the Spanish international. He is currently valued at £30million, which is double what the Seagulls paid for him the previous summer. However, Graham Potter’s side is unlikely to part ways with him even if they can essentially make huge profits.
Can Chelsea sign Cucurella?
The 23-year-old could prove to be a valuable addition for us, looking at the struggles we have endured in the left wing-back position. Ben Chilwell’s absence following his long-term injury had dealt a damning blow as we only had Marcos Alonso to deal with our needs since that setback.
Alonso has endured a mixed time at Stamford Bridge so far, and it seems that he is starting to enter the twilight of his playing career. Moreover, he is already set to leave us at the end of the current campaign, with Barcelona actively trying to sign him right now.
Alonso’s departure would leave a hole in our backline, which must be addressed at all costs. While Emerson Palmieri could return from his loan spell at Olympique Lyonnais, it remains to be seen if he has a future at the Bridge considering how often he has been overlooked since Antonio Conte signed him.
Cucurella would be a smart signing, especially with Thomas Tuchel being a fan of his engine and mobility on the left-hand side of the defence. That arguably makes the Seagulls ace suitable to the demanding playing style of a wing-back, but with Brighton’s current stance, there are doubts if we can complete a transfer.
Moreover, would Ben Chilwell settle for a place on the bench? Or would it be Cucurella who is made to swap a team where he is a regular and made to play back up at the Bridge? There is also another option where the two rotate throughout the season for starts down that flank- but the Blues would first need to sign the Seagulls star to make any of these situations even a remote possibility.
Potter’s team has no pressure on their side to part ways with one of the key players that they signed last summer. That could be a major issue if they really want to keep him and of course, the pull of Man City- who are set to become PL champions with a win against Aston Villa- is also a threat to our prospects.
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Tottenham cannot be taken lightly either, as they are looking to rebuild under Antonio Conte. It remains to be seen how this situation would pan out in the summer transfer window. The fans would hope to see a positive outcome, but that could be a challenging task under the current circumstances.
