Chelsea are in negotiations with Brighton and Hove Albion over left-back Marc Cucurella, having reached a full agreement with the player. This comes according to Fabrizio Romano, who claims that they are in the process of hijacking Manchester City’s pursuit of the “world-class” 24-year-old after Pep Guardiola’s side stalled in negotiations on a transfer fee.
Chelsea Looking to Swoop in and Steal Marc Cucurella From Manchester City
Full agreement now reached between Chelsea and Cucurella on personal terms. Potential contract has been proposal approved, Marc’s prepared to accept once clubs agree on fee. 🚨🔵 #CFC
Chelsea and Brighton in direct talks again today in order to complete the deal. pic.twitter.com/Ey2VF4RGRL
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 2, 2022
Manchester City Are Failing to Meet Brighton and Hove Albion’s Demands
City have had their sights firmly set on the left-back since the departure of Oleksandr Zinchenko to Arsenal earlier in the transfer window. The club have been actively pursuing the star as their final target this summer.
It was reported that the Spaniard would have liked a move to the reigning Premier League champions, however, talks began to stall between the Manchester club and Brighton.
Pep Guardiola’s side showed reluctance to meet Brighton’s £50 million price tag on their player, and City’s last bid of £40million was rejected.
The 24-year-old made his stance clear to his club by handing in a transfer request on July 29.
Read more: Marc Cucurella to Force Manchester City Move With Transfer Request
Chelsea Now Looking to Hijack Manchester City’s Deal
Now, Chelsea are hoping to hijack the deal and bring Cucurella to West London in order to bolster their defence ahead of the forthcoming season.
Thomas Tuchel and his team are looking to include talented youngster Levi Colwill as part of the deal to try and prise Cucurella from Brighton.
The Club World Cup winners have overseen the departures of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen this summer, and have since been working to replace the experienced defenders.
They narrowly missed out on the signing of 23-year-old Jules Kounde, who opted for a move to Barcelona after holding talks with Chelsea.
Read more: Manchester City Defender to Stay at Club Despite Chelsea Interest
Cucurella a Likely Starter for Both Sides
Club captain Cesar Azpilicueta and left-back Marcos Alonso have been linked with transfers to Barcelona, as the pair have one year remaining on their contracts. This would leave the Blues with a severe lack of depth in their backline, and so they are trying to rectify this in the summer.
City also have very few options at full-back; only Joao Cancelo and Kyle Walker can cover the positions naturally in the senior squad.
With Cucurella’s sights set on a Manchester move, it’s up to Guardiola to reconsider his offer to secure the La Masia graduate’s signature.
Read More: Every Premier League Transfer Completed in Summer 2022
The 2022/2023 Premier League campaign kicks off this Friday, August 5. Both sides will need to act efficiently over the next few days in order to implement any new signing before their first fixture.
