Brighton insist NO Cucurella deal in place with Chelsea
FT Desk
- 3 Aug 2022 21:25 BST
- 3 min read
Brighton have issued an emphatic denial of reports that a deal is already in place that will take Marc Cucurella to Chelsea.
Cucurella, 24, has seen rumours over his future escalate over the last few days, with links to both Manchester City and the Blues.
Chelsea had appeared to have won the battle for his signature, clinching a transfer that would net Brighton €60 million just a year after signing him from Getafe.
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That sum would also make Cucurella the most expensive left-back in history; but contrary to those reports, the Seagulls insist that they have not consented to a sale.
"Contrary to inaccurate reports from numerous media outlets this evening, no agreement has been reached with any club to sell Marc Cucurella," the club affirmed in a post published on its official Twitter account.
CLUB STATEMENT: MARC CUCURELLA.
Contrary to inaccurate reports from numerous media outlets this evening, no agreement has been reached with any club to sell Marc Cucurella.— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) August 3, 2022
Will Cucurella leave?
The full-back has seen his profile rise immensely since joining Brighton, having started every single Premier League game for the club following his deadline day move last summer.
Cucurella had previously come up through the Barcelona youth system but only managed one match for the Catalans before moving on.
Brighton would certainly find the massive fee reported hard to turn down, while the player would have the chance to prove himself at the highest level, representing the Blues in the Champions League.
But with the Premier League season kicking off this weekend the Seagulls would also have precious little time to replace a key part of their first team, which might explain their reluctance to sell unless they receive an exorbitant offer.
Manager Graham Potter chose to keep quiet on the transfer speculation when asked about Cucurella recently, while revealing he could yet feature in Sunday's league opener against Manchester United.
“We’re confident and relaxed in our position. I don’t have too much to say it’s just part of modern-day football, that’ how I see it," Potter explained.
“Our fans understand the speculation that goes on during the transfer window. [Marc] had a feeling in his calf this week, so it didn’t feel right to risk him today.”
