Cucurella to Chelsea: How Ben White has dictated the player's monster price tag
Karan Tejwani
- 4 Aug 2022 08:54 BST
- 3 min read
Chelsea are close to completing the signing of Brighton’s Spanish defender Marc Cucurella, in a bid to improve their back-line ahead of the start of the new season.
The Blues had other targets lined up, such as Jules Kounde, but missed out on him, and are now in a bid to sign Cucurella, willing to pay the £50 million price tag set on him by Brighton.
Cucurella played the second half of last season as a centre-back, which is where he’ll play for Chelsea, and he also has the ability to play as a wing-back – the position he was best known for.
The fee is big – especially for a player with just one season of Premier League experience – and it’s dictated by what Brighton did last summer, when Arsenal signed Ben White for a similar fee.
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Brighton are proving to be tough negotiators
When White moved to Arsenal, he too had just one season of experience in the English top-flight, having previously spent time on loan at Newport County, Peterborough and Leeds United.
Arsenal were keen on his talents, having seen him earn a call-up to England’s squad for the European Championships and were willing to fork out a big fee.
According to many sources, Brighton consider Cucurella to be a player of bigger talent and potential, and seeing as he’s just 24, there is plenty of potential in him to get better.
He’s also got a long-term contract, having signed on a five-year deal last summer which expires in June 2026, putting Brighton in a good negotiating position, and that was also the case with White last year.
Additionally, Brighton paid Getafe £16 million to secure the Spaniard’s services last summer, and they’ll want to make a profit on that after an impressive debut campaign in England.
🗣️ "The deal has not been completed yet."
Brighton have released a statement saying that no agreement has been reached with any club to sell Marc Cucurella. pic.twitter.com/DRMmYdCbbE— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) August 3, 2022
According to Football Transfers’ valuation, Cucurella is valued at €45m (£37.5 million), with a max valuation of €56m (£46 million), which is close to what Chelsea are paying for the player.
When factoring his age, contract, versatility and Chelsea’s eagerness to secure a defensive signing, Brighton are smartly negotiating the player’s exit, and getting the right money for a player they value highly.
The south coast club are slowly building a reputation for being one of the Premier League’s sternest negotiators, having proved that two summers in a row.
