According to Fabrizio Romano, Brighton & Hove Albion defender Marc Cucurella is disappointed with the high price tag set by his club amid serious interest from Manchester City.
The Premier League champions have identified the Spaniard as a replacement left-back for the outgoing Oleksandr Zinchenko.
Marc Cucurella only wants Man City. He told Brighton staff weeks ago his intention to leave the club if Man City came with good offer, and he’s now disappointed because of the high price tag. 🚨🔵 #MCFC
Talks between clubs continue, all parties are in direct contact. pic.twitter.com/IMYVa66xsC
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 21, 2022
Manchester City Continue to Pursue Marc Cucurella Move
Life So Far on the South Coast
Since signing for a shrewd £16.2 million from Getafe last summer, Marc Cucurella has played a pivotal role for the Seagulls. The defender made 35 Premier League appearances last term as Brighton secured their first ever top-half finish in England’s top-flight. The Spaniard’s consistent performances earned him Brighton’s player’s Player of the Season award and he has since drawn interest from Manchester City.
Read More: Arsenal Preparing Final Details to Sign Oleksandr Zinchenko
The Citizen’s recent £30 million bid for the player was swiftly rejected by Brighton, who are looking to receive closer to £50 million to let Cucurella leave. These events have reportedly left the 23-year-old disappointed as he has voiced his intentions to leave the club if a good offer arrived from City.
Talks are continuing between the clubs with all parties remaining in direct contact.
Where Would Cucurella Fit at City?
With the transfer of Oleksandr Zinchenko to Arsenal now all but confirmed, City are left without a recognised left-back in their squad.
For the majority of the 2021/22 season, Pep Guardiola deployed Portuguese international Joao Cancelo in the left-back position. Despite the player naturally being a right-back, Cancelo had an outstanding year, earning himself a place in the 2022 PFA Premier League Team of the Year. However, if Guardiola does look to return the former Juventus man to his preferred position, he will no doubt need to delve into the transfer market to find a full-back partner.
Read More: Manchester City Could Target Brighton & Hove Albion Defender Marc Cucurella With £30 Million Bid
Cucurella has been on the Manchester club’s radar since the start of the window and it is no surprise why. The defender is perfectly suited to possession-based football and is more than capable of using both feet. As well as being solid defensively, the Spaniard is no stranger to crossing the halfway line and often makes darting overlapping runs to help his side on the transition. Alike most of the City squad, Cucurella is also extremely versatile, playing as a wing-back, a full-back and a left-sided centre-back last term.
After the defender’s impressive form last year, there is no surprise that one of Europe’s best is in to sign him this summer. However, City will eager to wrap the deal up soon in order to avoid unwanted interest from other top clubs.
