Chelsea’s new defender Marc Cucurella: Who the hell are you? (Vol. 25)
Chelsea is aiming to create even more depth at a position where it was more than lacking in the previous campaign, left wingback. Todd Boehly and Thomas Tuchel have now struck a deal for one of the most promising young Spanish defenders, which fills that gap. For a total of around £63 million, former Brighton wingback Marc Cucurella has signed with the Blues for six years. He made his Chelsea debut in the first contest of the league season against Everton, just 24 hours after signing for the west London side. The Spaniard played the final 15 minutes plus added time, and nearly racked up an assist to Raheem Sterling. He would’ve already tallied a goal contribution if it wasn’t for the timely Everton defense.
The Blues’ promising left centerback, Levi Colwill, will spend his season with the Seagulls on loan, but most importantly, there is no option to buy in the exchange. Given his youth at just 19 years old, Colwill could end up being a talented centerback who, down the line, could be more than serviceable for the Blues. Colwill will be able to play under a system where Graham Potter has had the tendency of playing the same system that Tuchel does in west London.
In past years, the Blues would most likely have stuck an option to buy clause into the Colwill deal, but the new direction of the club has Chelsea prioritizing the future by bringing in some of the most elite young footballers into the academy and the first team. From signing Carney Chukwuemeka, Gabriel Slonina and Omari Hutchinson to now giving Colwill a chance in the future of the team, Boehly is making sure the development of youth is important on top of maintaining a contender in the top flight. He’s also retooling the first team, which is where Cucurella comes into the picture in the present.
Everton 0-1 Chelsea player ratings: Glory at Goodison Park. light. Related Story
After the signing was finally complete, Tuchel expressed his thoughts on the club’s new acquisition, stating:
"“He’s young, hungry, mobile and a very intelligent player…It helps in-depth and in quality, and it helps with Ben, to escape the pressure of I have to deliver and we need you absolutely now…And I think he can play very well in the back three, so it’s a bit of a profile of Azpilicueta on the left side. He gives us many options.”"
Now that we know how the gaffer feels about the new addition, it’s time to learn a little bit more about Cucurella himself. Let’s answer the question, who the hell is Cucurella?
1. History
Despite some people marveling at the fee that was paid for Cucurella—which was a record fee received by Brighton—the Spaniard fits the system that Tuchel employs nearly seamlessly, as his history reveals. Cucurella began his career in the Barcelona academy, making a name for himself on loan at Getafe CF under manager Jose Bordalas. Bordalas is known as one of the most intense managers, preaching a direct approach where he mostly played in a higher position on the left flank. Cucurella built a lot of his dynamism from his time at Getafe, growing into a solid player with the ball at his feet, and someone the Blues can rely on to swing in dangerous crosses.
Despite only making one appearance for the Spanish National Team in 2021, Cucurella has a silver medal on the U23 Spanish side from the Olympics in Japan. Barcelona never gave Cucurella a shot in the first team, and while the club looks for a wingback for the 2022/23 campaign, Xavi certainly wishes he had a player with the class of Cucurella at his disposal.
In 2019, Barcelona would buy Cucurella back after his loan spell at Eibar, but just a few days later, he was off on loan to Getafe and the rest is history. It only took one season in the Premier League for teams like Chelsea and Manchester City to attempt to lure him away from Brighton. The Blues know him far too well as the Spaniard set up the game-tying goal that was slotted home by Danny Welbeck back in December to snatch a win away from Tuchel’s side. He won the Brighton Player of the Season, as well as the Supporters’ Player of the Season in just his first campaign in the Premier League with the Seagulls, which speaks to his popularity and quality.