In a recent report, Football.London stated that Chelsea have completed the signing of Marc Cucurella from Brighton and Hove Albion. It is understood that the Seagulls valued their breakthrough left-back at £50 million and talks with Manchester City broke down due to the valuation gap between the two clubs, but the Blues have taken advantage of that and have offered £55 million as a transfer fee with the possibility of another £7 million in add-ons.
Cucurella’s Impressive Numbers For Brighton Last Season
Cucurella has adapted to the Premier League exceptionally well as his move from Getafe has turned out to be a huge success. He has established himself as a key player for the Seagulls going on to earn the player of the season award. The Spanish left-back has produced some influential displays at the defensive end as he managed to score a goal and produce two assists in 38 matches last season across all competitions.
The U-23 capped Spain international has performed consistently based on his averages of 0.5 shots, 0.8 dribbles, 1.2 key passes, 2.7 tackles, 0.9 interceptions and 1.9 clearances per game in the top tier of English football. He has also been tidy with his ball distribution after completing 82% of his attempted passes in the English top-flight (stats via whoscored).
What Will He Bring To Chelsea?
Cucurella has produced some dominant displays in the defensive third of the field. He has the ability to time his tackles and can make some clever interceptions to win the ball back for his side. Furthermore, the youngster has proven to be productive on the attacking end as well. He excels at holding on to the ball and making some decent runs down the left flank. He can even chip in with a few assists by creating meaningful chances using his wide array of crossing abilities.
His arrival at Stamford Bridge brings more competition to the left-back position, as Thomas Tuchel likes to play a three-man defence. Cucurella will do well to take the pressure off Ben Chilwell in the left wing-back position.
The Blues have spent well in the summer to bring in decent reinforcements after losing Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger due to the sanctions made on them before the transfer window began. The Spanish left-back is a decent fit for Tuchel, and his abilities will help them in their run for the title this season.
