Newcastle United are reportedly ready to pay up to £30 million to sign fullback Marc Cucurella from Chelsea. The Spaniard joined the Blues just last summer from Brighton and Hove Albion but had a largely disappointing debut season.
According to journalist Felix Johnston, Newcastle are prepared to place a bid in the region of £25 to £30 million to sign Cucurella from Chelsea, who signed him for £56m with a possible £7m in add-ons last summer.
In his debut season with the club, Marc Cucurella made 33 appearances across competitions, providing two assists in the process. But he couldn’t hit the highs of his time at Brighton, which prompted Chelsea to shell out a hefty fee for the defender.
Cucurella’s dip in form could also be partly credited to the multiple managerial changes at Stamford Bridge. The west London side finished 12th in the Premier League and failed to win any silverware in what was a hugely disappointing 2022/23 season.
The Spain international still has five years left on his Chelsea contract but could be on his way out of Stamford Bridge this summer. According to The Mirror, new manager Mauricio Pochettino is open to the idea of selling the fullback.
However, if they do decide to sell the player for £30 million, they will have to incur a loss of over £25 million on him.
Chelsea trimming squad ahead of 2023/24 season
Chelsea had a bloated squad last season, which has now been considerably trimmed down. As many as seven first-team players are not with the team anymore.
The players who have left the club this summer include Kai Havertz, who has joined London rivals Arsenal, Mateo Kovacic, who has moved to Manchester City, Ruben Loftus-Cheek (AC Milan), Kalidou Koulibaly (Al Hilal), Edouard Mendy (Al Ahli), N’Golo Kante (Al-Ittihad) and Joao Felix, who has returned to parent club Atletico Madrid after a six-month loan.
The Blues are also set to part ways with Mason Mount, who will join Manchester United and has already said his farewell to the club and fans.