Chelsea’s new defender Marc Cucurella: Who the hell are you? (Vol. 25)

3. What does this mean for the defenders?

Marcos Alonso is now on his way out the door and heading to Barcelona. In replacing him, Cucurella gives the Blues a much more dynamic and all-around defender with prolific attacking tendencies. He has proven he can perform at an elite level in the Premier League already, which is another positive. If his debut during the second half on the road at Goodison Park was any indication of what is to come for Cucurella, the left side of the pitch for the Blues this season is going to cause plenty of headaches for any opposition in the English top flight.

Cucurella provides both competition with Ben Chilwell on the left side of the pitch and gives Tuchel a multitude of options in the back line with his ability to play more than just one position. As Chelsea looks to discover a right-sided defender, Cucurella gives the Blues an extremely creative left side that now has two wingbacks that are nearly interchangeable, and there is no downgrade in quality. As either a left center back, or a left wingback, Cucurella has demonstrated the versatility and creativity to add an extra punch to both the attack and defense.

If any of the centerbacks need some time to recover, Cucurella has experience out wide in a back three with Brighton last season. When Tuchel really wants to get creative, Cucurella has experience higher up the pitch, but with the way the wingbacks play in his system in west London, there is going to be plenty of time for him to attack opposing back lines with purpose. He has the luxury to be able to make mistakes once in a while because he knows that his recovery pace will allow him to make up for the error. Brighton’s extremely conservative way of playing football did not give Cucurella the chance to unleash what he truly did at Getafe, but with his new home at Stamford Bridge, the Blues may hold the key.

In order for Chelsea to capture the trophies that eluded it last season, an innovative footballer like Cucurella who provides even more depth is going to unlock the success. Some people are going to look at the amount it costs to bring a player like this on board, but if the Blues have a chance to secure a young footballer in a position of need that has a little bit of everything in his back pocket, they certainly cannot pass that up.

What do you make of Cucurella’s addition? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!