Most of the talk in recent days has been about managers. Chelsea sacked Liam Rosenior and will now be looking to find a permanent head coach this summer. Names like Xabi Alonso, Andoni Iraola, Cesc Fabregas and a few others have been brought up. It is also believed that some unnamed candidates are on the Blues’ radar.
Of course, there is going to be a lot of focus on players Chelsea end up signing this summer as well. There transfer strategy is one of the primary reasons behind their struggles. There have been suggestions that the club are ready to tweak that model and bring in some proven, experienced players this time around. Let’s see if that materialises or not.
Amid all this, there has not been much talk about the players who could be leaving at the end of the season. Don’t forget, Chelsea are set to miss out on Champions League football. And over the past four years under BlueCo, they have not made enough progress. So, some senior players could already be considering their futures.
One such player might be Marc Cucurella, who openly criticised the club’s strategy not too long ago. And now, it looks like he is on the radar of FC Barcelona, the club whose youth ranks he came through.
FC Barcelona interested in Marc Cucurella
According to Metro, Spanish commentator Jota Jordi claimed on Monday night’s programme on El Chiringuito TV:
‘There’s a player who knows Barca well, he came through their youth academy, and that’s Cucurella.
‘Barcelona been talking about the player in the offices for a couple of days now.’
It is very easy to understand why Barcelona might be interested in Cucurella. He is a La Masia graduate and the starting left-back of the Spanish national team.
Also, let’s not forget, Cucurella kept Lamine Yamal quiet in the game between Chelsea and Barcelona in the Champions League earlier this season. That performance should have been enough to catch a few eyes at Camp Nou.
Chelsea should hold firm when it comes to Cucurella
Letting Cucurella go should not be a consideration at Chelsea unless it is absolutely necessary. The Spaniard is one of the few senior players in the squad with genuine top-level experience.
What Chelsea need right now is more experience, not lose what they already have. Also, Cucurella is one of the few world-class players on their books. So, whichever way you look at it, letting the Spaniard leave would be an error.
Also, Barcelona have faced financial issues for years. Can they really go out and sign one of the Premier League’s top left-backs, with years left on his contract, who is just entering his prime?
