Barcelona have confirmed on their official website that Marc Cucurella has re-signed with the club from SD Eibar this summer. According to Goal.com, the Catalan giants have agreed on a €4m fee to bring the Spanish defensive ace back to the Nou Camp in this off-season.
The Rapid Rise Of Marc Cucurella
Cucurella began his playing career at Espanyol before he joined Barca’s world-renowned La Masia Academy in the summer of 2012. The Alella-born talent came through the youth ranks of Barcelona before featuring for their B team back in 2017.
The Spaniard was loaned out to SD Eibar in the previous campaign where he managed to earn regular first-team opportunities in the La Liga. Cucurella featured in 33 matches for the Spanish outfit last season, scoring twice while creating two assists in all competitions.
The 20-year-old made an average of 1.6 tackles, 0.6 interceptions and 0.5 clearances in the Spanish top-flight last season (stats via whoscored). The La Liga wonderkid has also represented Spain in various youth levels but is yet to earn his first international cap for his nation.
What Will The Spanish Defender Add To Valverde’s Team?
Cucurella boasts blistering pace but is not really a capable dribbler with the ball at his feet. The Spanish sensation is not afraid to put in a shift at left-back and usually works his socks off for his team. The Barca youth product is a decent defender inside his own half, but he needs to find consistency with his performances on the field.
At 20, Cucurella still has a lot of room for improvement before he embarks upon the peak years of his playing career. Ernesto Valverde made the correct decision to bring him back to the Nou Camp ahead of the new season. The Spaniard will add some much-needed depth to Valverde’s squad and has the potential to become a regular starter for the Catalans someday.
For now, Cucurella needs to focus on improving his game in the training ground so that he can impress Valverde enough to earn a first-team start next season. He needs to learn from Jordi Alba if he intends to step up when the Barca left-back decides to call it a day at the Nou Camp.
