‘Willing’ Marc Cucurella Presented With Four Options As Chelsea Exit Beckons
Marc Cucurella is reportedly “willing” to escape the instability of Chelsea this summer and finds himself presented with at least four potential suitors.
The left back has previously expressed his disdain for some of the decisions made by the club’s ownership, so it is little surprise that his future at Stamford Bridge appears uncertain. A lack of any European qualification will have only hurt Chelsea’s chances of keeping their first-choice left back.
There are no shortage of admirers for Cucurella to consider, according to The Athletic. La Liga’s triumvirate of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atlético Madrid have all been credited with interest in a player who could also potentially join Chelsea’s domestic rivals Manchester City. The Blues are thought to be open to satisfying the demands of their wantaway fullback, if their own financial stipulations are met.
Based on the strength of the links, the attractiveness of the club and Cucurella’s suitability to his potentially new surroundings, some suitors stand out above others.
4. Man City
Is there an Enzo Maresca-Marc Cucurella reunion in the air? / Action Plus/IMAGO
There’s no grand mystery when it comes to the links between Cucurella and Manchester City. It remains to be seen when Enzo Maresca will be unveiled as Pep Guardiola’s successor, but there appears to be little doubt that the Italian will take over the helm—after all, his multiple meetings with City executives were part of the reason why he left Chelsea so suddenly at the turn of the year.
Cucurella was one of several players caught off-guard by his manager’s departure and let the club know that he would not have made the same call in a needlessly explosive interview in April. “The moment Maresca left, it had a big impact on us,” the left back fretted. “These are decisions taken by the club. If you asked me, I would not have made this decision.”
Whether Chelsea’s hierarchy will take the decision to sell one of the league’s best left backs to their direct rivals will be intriguing to watch.
City spent around $43 million on Rayan Aït-Nouri for that position just last summer only for Nico O’Reilly to blossom out of the academy and demote the costly recruit to the substitutes’ bench. Maresca could feasibly see O’Reilly’s future to be in midfield—his natural position—but it would be a surprise to see City splash even more cash on Cucurella to keep Aït-Nouri firmly rooted to the reserves.
3. Barcelona
Marc Cucurella (right) shut down Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal in November. / Crystal Pix/MB Media/Getty Images
Barcelona is the romantic move for Cucurella. The Catalan fullback spent seven years on Barça’s books, painstakingly working his way through the youth teams before being afforded his senior debut in 2017. It only lasted seven minutes and would prove to be his last appearance.
As recently as March, Cucurella admitted that “it would be difficult to reject” an approach from his boyhood club. “And not just for me,” he told assembled media while representing Spain. “I would have to think about my family as well. If [an offer] comes, it comes, and we will have to see what decision we would make.”
It may also prove difficult for Barcelona to finance a move. While there is seemingly enough money down the back of sofa for any array of forward options, cash may be harder to come by for a position which is already well stocked.
Should the likes of Alejandro Balde or Gerard Martín move on (or a permanent deal for João Cancelo not be struck) then this fantasy could become a reality.
2. Real Madrid
Álvaro Carreras joined Real Madrid for €50 million last summer. / Diego Souto/Getty Images
It remains to be seen whether Cucurella would countenance crossing the Clásico divide, but Real Madrid certainly have more need for him than Barcelona.
Ferland Mendy is expected to miss the entirety of next season with a torn tendon, Fran García sat out most of 2025–26 due to a lack of form while Álvaro Carreras perhaps wishes he had been unavailable for the second half of the campaign.
Last summer’s signing faded violently after a bright start to life back in the Spanish capital. Tensions rose to such an extent that he was even reportedly slapped by his teammate Antonio Rüdiger.
There are numerous areas of the pitch which Real Madrid need to strengthen this summer and left back is undoubtedly one of them: Cucurella would represent one of the standout options for this troublesome position.
1. Atletico Madrid
Diego Simeone is looking for a new left back. / Dennis Agyeman/Europa Press/Getty Images
Cucurella’s Eibar coach José Luis Mendilibar always said that his favorite left back “doesn’t register” on “all those things we measure with all those machines we have.
“But he’s a soccer player.”
Cucurella’s intangible gifts are the sort of dogged determination which Atlético Madrid’s Diego Simeone craves above any more prosaic statistics. One number which the Argentine boss won’t ignore is the dwindling tally of actual left backs available to him: heading into the 2026–27 campaign, that figure stands at one.
Matteo Ruggeri could do with some competition and Atlético are in a financial position to immediately buy before any need to sell. Unsurprisingly, The Athletic bill Simeone’s side as “leading the chase” for Cucurella.
