Manchester City are considering a £30 million bid for Brighton & Hove Albion left-back Marc Cucurella, according to The Telegraph.
The 23-year-old joined Brighton before the start of the season but has become a key player for the South-Coast club as they find themselves on the verge of a top-half finish in the Premier League.
Brighton’s Marc Cucurella Could be Subject to a Bid From Manchester City in the Summer
What Cucurella Brings to the Table
A product of Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy, Cucurella unfortunately never managed a senior appearance at the Nou Camp but did shine in two seasons at Getafe. Brighton saw enough to warrant triggering Cucurella’s release clause, a reported £15.4 million, to bring the left-back to the Premier League.
In his season so far with Brighton, Cucurella has emerged as a key player for the club as he has made 34 appearances and played the full 90 minutes in 31 of these outings. The Spain international has proven to be a well-rounded player on the Brighton defence’s left-side, ranking in the 87th percentile in progressive passes and the 79th Percentile for progressive carries among fellow full-backs. Cucurella has managed to be an attacking threat whilst remaining solid defensively, ranking in the 74th percentile for tackles and the 78th percentile for interceptions.
It’s no wonder then why Cucurella has managed to catch the eye of some of the top clubs in Europe.
Could Manchester City Use Cucurella?
Manchester City are on the verge of winning the Premier League for the second season in a row and are fresh off the announcement of singing arguably Europe’s hottest player in Erling Haaland. However, the Manchester club suffered a gutting defeat at the hands of Real Madrid to eliminate them from the Champions League. As the only trophy that manager Pep Guardiola has failed to win in his time at City, it appears the club are gearing up for another run at it next season.
Guardiola has favoured João Cancelo at left-back this season despite the Portugal international usually being a right-back by trade. Oleksandr Zinchenko is also capable of playing at left-back, as is Nathan Ake, however, both have only managed 14 appearances in the Premier League this season despite the club being relatively light at the position.
Therefore, it’s likely that Guardiola could look to strengthen the left-back position in the summer, especially if he wants to play João Cancelo in his natural position. Cucurella could be a great option for the club that could be looking for a potential third consecutive Premier League title.
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