Sometimes, it seems like all eyes are on Manchester United and Cristiano Ronaldo. Mere days ago, however, Premier League club Chelsea signed Spanish footballer Marc Cucurella. Nobody could have predicted that, but if you play online sports betting at Lottoland, you could use your predictive powers to earn real money!
But where did this transfer come from? Who else was chasing Cucurella? Find out everything you need to know about this transfer here!
Who is Marc Cucurella?
Marc Cucurella is a 24-year-old professional football player who was born in Alella, Barcelona, Catalonia, on July 22, 1998. He usually plays left- or centre-back. He’s considered a “natural left-back.” Cucurella played over 100 La Liga games for Spanish teams Eibar and Getafe before moving to Brighton in August of 2021. He has also won 49 caps for Spain and an Olympic silver medal.
But the football star wanted more. The main factor in determining where he would go next was his asking price. What was this price tag, and why were so many football clubs unwilling to pay it?
How Much Was It?
It was originally thought that Cucurella would go to Manchester City; even his teammates thought Cucurella was going there. However, Man City could not pay his asking price of £50m. They insisted on £35m and were only willing to go up to £40m after pressure. That was not enough; the deal stalled.
Burnley was another option. The Athletic mentions how Cucurella and his agent went around Burnley’s pitch. The club had its eyes on Cucurella in 2019; as with now, he rejected their £10 million bid. They, too, had their hopes dashed this year.
The same article details how Todd Boehly, an agent for Chelsea, texted Cucurella’s agents personally after the deal with Man City fell through. He even went so far as to invite the football star to his vacation villa in Mykonos, Greece. After Man City hadn’t been willing to pay his price tag, Chelsea picked up the slack, paid the fee, and got one of the best football players Spain had to offer. His new contract lasts until 2028.
The total amount wrapped up in Cucurella’s contract is unfortunately the hardest question to answer. The general public is not supposed to know the finer details of contracts. ESPN describes the final deal as “an initial £56m with a possible £7m in add-ons.” That’s a total of £63m! Even if it’s speculative, that’s a lot to the average person.
Why Chelsea?
There are a few reasons Chelsea may have been eager to sign Cucurella. One is that they just traded one of their players, centre-back Levi Colwill, to Brighton. They also lost the Brazilian player Richarlison to Tottenham earlier this year.
But the biggest reason is simple: Thomas Tuchel, the manager of Chelsea FC, is a fan of Cucurella. Tuchel describes Cucurella as “hungry, mobile, and a very intelligent player” in many articles. Funnily enough, Cucurella also played as Chelsea in the video game Pro Evolution Soccer whenever he could. Both the manager and player seem to be fans of each other!
In the end, the Spanish football player got what he wanted, and Tuchel got a player that he’d had his eyes on for a long time. The timing was also critical; Chelsea just faced Everton in one of their first Premier League matches!
Conclusion
Cucurella’s move from Brighton to Chelsea gives the player and manager what they wanted: a move to a Premier League team and one of their favourite players, respectively. It’s a rare case where the manager is a fan of the player, and the player is a fan of the team he’s going to. This looks like a happy arrangement. Will Chelsea’s investment pay off? Only time will tell.
