Chelsea in dreamland as Premier League rivals plot stunning swoop for flop

Tom Weber

• Updated: 19 Apr 2024 16:21 BST
• 3 min read

Aston Villa are interested in Marc Cucurella, according to a report.

The Spaniard has been one of the biggest disappointments of the Todd Boehly era, and that is saying a lot. Signed from Chelsea's favourite hunting ground Brighton in 2022 for an eye-watering €65 million, Cucurella has done very little to justify that fee.

Though a bit improved this season, it is nevertheless expected that his Chelsea career is coming to an end. Fabrizio Romano has already announced that Cucurella will depart Stamford Bridge this summer and it seems that the only question is where he will end up.

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Chelsea are said to be prepared to incur a hefty loss in order to get the 25-year-old off the books, but it will still require a major investment to sign him, with the Blues keen to boost their Financial Fair Play wiggle room. Given his poor performances, few clubs on the continent will be prepared to pay a pretty penny for him, so he will likely stay in the Premier League.

Cucurella to Aston Villa?

Romano previously revealed that Man City and Man Utd attempted to free Cucurella from his Chelsea misery in 2023 and now another potential suitor has emerged: Aston Villa. According to TEAMtalk, Unai Emery is keen to reinforce the left side of his defence.

It is thought that neither Lucas Digne nor Alex Moreno has particularly impressed the Basque coach and he is looking to sign an upgrade ahead of a potential Champions League adventure.

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In addition to Arsenal's Kieran Tierney, interest in whom was exclusively revealed by FootballTransfers last year, the above-mentioned report asserts that Cucurella has been added to Villa's shortlist.

Villa won't wantonly splash the cash on the Spaniard, however. It is claimed that the Villans will only consider the deal if they can secure his signature for a 'reasonable price.'