- 14 hours ago
Chelsea star reveals he is ‘pushing’ for Nico Williams transfer
Chelsea star Marc Cucurella says he is “pushing” for his side to sign Spain teammate Nico Williams and has revealed what makes the Athletic Club winger special.
The winger is available for around €55 million this summer due to the release clause in his contract, but there is uncertainty over where the 21-year-old will end up.
Barcelona are liable to be priced out of a deal for the player, who wound up with 14 assists in LaLiga last season, while FootballTransfers exclusively revealed that Arsenal are willing to trigger his release clause.
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Cucurella, though, believes Nico Williams would be a “great signing” and is eager for Chelsea to make a move.
Speaking to Spanish outlet Sport, he said: “He is a great player. He is bringing out all his potential. He is a source of pride that he is on our team, that he is our teammate and with players like him everything is easier.
“He would be a great signing, but it all depends on what he wants to do. I'm pushing him to sign for Chelsea. In the end, it all depends on him. He's very young, with a lot of experience, and I think he'll be a great player.”
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Cucurella also spoke up on what makes Nico and Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal special as wingers.
“The good thing about them is that they do their own thing,” he said. “They don't seem to care about anything, they play the game as if it were a training session or with friends. That makes them different, to play with this self-confidence and joy that people like. On top of that, if they play on your team, you enjoy them.”
Cucurella on Guiu
Cucurella has revealed that he has spoken to Marc Guiu, the young forward who recently signed for Chelsea from Barcelona.
“We spoke and I told him that if he needed anything, he should let me know. I'm happy because he's a great player, very young, with a very promising future and we're going to take care of him so that he can play his best football,” the Chelsea defender said.
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He was also asked if he found it “strange” Guiu wanted to leave Barcelona at 17 before getting his debut for the club.
Cucurella responded: “It's complicated. All footballers want to play. Some have held out, been patient and have not had the opportunity. Football is difficult, nobody guarantees you anything, you have to take advantage of your opportunities and think about your future.”
Cucurella is expected to start for Spain against Germany in the first Euro 2024 quarter-final on Friday.