Chelsea’s Marc Cucurella may have found himself another opportunity to prove himself under Mauricio Pochettino at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella must grab his unexpected opportunity to play at Stamford Bridge “with both hands”, as journalist Paul Brown provides GIVEMESPORT with an internal update on the left-back’s chances of becoming a regular feature in the side.
Head coach Mauricio Pochettino hopes to build on this week’s positive result and begin a turnaround of the Blues’ fortunes.
During the 2022 summer transfer window, Chelsea confirmed the capture of Cucurella from Brighton & Hove Albion in a deal worth over £60m. The 25-year-old agreed a six-year contract to link up with head coach Thomas Tuchel, as co-owner and chairman Todd Boehly aimed to build a side capable of contending for the most prestigious honours.
However, the Spaniard’s time at the club has been rocky, to say the least, with Tuchel sacked within weeks of the left-back’s arrival at Stamford Bridge. His former head coach, Graham Potter, was drafted in to replace the German, but he was also relieved of his duties in April after a slump in form left the Blues swamping around the mid-table echelons of the Premier League. Interim head coach Frank Lampard failed to inspire a turnaround in form and was replaced by Mauricio Pochettino during the summer.
Cucurella made 33 appearances for Chelsea last term but missed the campaign’s final month with a muscle injury. In February, the MailOnline claimed that the Blues faithful were already turning on the summer signing, having put in several uninspiring performances at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea had been prepared to offload Cucurella to Manchester United on loan during the recent transfer market following injuries to Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia at Old Trafford. However, the west London outfit demanded a £7m loan fee for the defender, who would appear against AFC Wimbledon in the Carabao Cup, meaning they couldn’t permanently sell him should United have chosen to cut short his temporary switch. Unsurprisingly, a move fell through, leaving Cucurella stuck at Chelsea following the closure of the transfer windows across Europe and the Middle East last month.
Pochettino had left the defender in ‘limbo’ after making it clear he wasn’t part of his plans at the club. But, following injuries to Reece James and Ben Chilwell, Cucurella was drafted in at right-back in Monday evening’s 2-0 Premier League victory at Fulham, helping the side keep a clean sheet with an impressive display.
