Chelsea’s first transfer victim? Romano names Blues star heading for exit

Robin Bairner

• 4 Mar 2024 08:30 GMT
• 4 min read

Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Marc Cucurella is one of the players who could be sold by Chelsea this summer.

Chelsea made the 25-year-old the second most-expensive left-back in the history of the game in the summer of 2022 when they splashed an incredible €73.5 million to sign him from Brighton.

It was a deal that has not worked out ideally for either player. Cucurella has featured only 12 times under Mauricio Pochettino this season, and while he has only just returned following ankle surgery in December, there is doubt over what his future holds.

READ MORE: How much will it cost for Chelsea to sack Pochettino?

Romano has revealed that the 25-year-old, who is out of contract in 2028, could be on his way back to Spain during the summer.

Writing on the Daily Briefing, Romano states: “The Chelsea left-back has been linked with a return to La Liga. My understanding is that he is one of the situations to be assessed at the end of the season.

“Cucurella, Trevoh Chalobah and more... these players are waiting to see what Chelsea decide to do in terms of project, tactical plans for next season, the manager situation.

“Cucurella was available on loan in the final days of August last year but deal with Manchester United collapsed because they wanted to include a break clause for January and Chelsea rejected.”

Man Utd are still linked with a potential summer transfer for the Spaniard.

READ MORE: Latest Chelsea transfer rumours

Will Cucurella stay at Chelsea?

It is difficult to predict Cucurella’s future at present due to the unknown situation over Pochettino, who remains in control of the club but finds his grip on the team increasingly weak.

Chelsea fans were angry as the team struggled to secure a 2-2 draw against Brentford on Saturday, coming from behind to score a late equaliser through Axel Disasi.

READ MORE: Rafa Leao’s Chelsea ultimatum

Pochettino is only under contract until 2025, making him vulnerable to the sack if the Blues do not improve before the end of the campaign.

Chelsea do not, meanwhile, have a convincing option on the left side of their defence, with Ben Chilwell beset by injury problems and struggling to reach his best level. This leaves a door open for Cucurella to return to prominence.