Marc Cucurella doesn't want to continue at Chelsea next season despite Xabi Alonso taking charge next month.
The left-back had a reasonable season but the side's failure to qualify for the Champions League means he wants to move on.
Barcelona — his former youth academy — are interested, but so are Manchester City and Atletico Madrid.
When it comes to the latter, Diego Simeone reportedly believes Chelsea's number three is the perfect type of player for the 11-time La Liga champions.
Despite Cucurella's eagerness to return to Spain, Atleti might find a deal hard to agree, though.
Atletico Madrid set Marc Cucurella budget
Not blessed with the same kind of wealth as Premier League clubs, Atletico Madrid are always forced to operate with much stricter transfer budgets, and that could see them priced out of a move for Cucurella.
According to The Sun, Simeone's side don't want to spend more than £43 million on Cucurella; significantly less than the £60 million Chelsea paid Brighton and Hove Albion four years ago.
BlueCo are rumoured to want at least £50 million for the 27-year-old which means Atleti will either need to increase their budget or find alternative targets.
Of course, their stance could change if Arsenal and Real Madrid-linked Julian Alvarez ends up leaving the Riyadh Air Metropolitano Stadium for what would be a £100 million plus transfer.
Good World Cup could price Los Colchoneros out
Cucurella was unsurprisingly named in Luis de la Fuente's 26-man World Cup squad for this summer's tournament in North America.
The full-back won't return to west London until after Spain's elimination — or triumph — in the competition, and it could be that a deep run, as well as great individual performances, see Chelsea dig their heels in even further.
Not set to turn 28 until the end of next month, Cucurella has yet to reach his prime years, and with three years left on his deal, the Blues will feel more than justified in their valuation.
Should Atletico Madrid fail to meet the Blues' demands, that will be their loss. There is no doubting Cucurella is worth at least £50 million, and with some pretty big clubs also interested, Chelsea will feel little need to negotiate.
During his four years at Stamford Bridge, Cucurella has been directly involved in 22 goals in 163 games in all competitions. He was part of the Chelsea team that lifted the 2024-25 UEFA Conference League and 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.
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