- Marc Cucurella has made a great impression since joining the Amex Stadium on a £15 million deal from Getafe last year August
- He had an excellent debut season, helping Brighton to ninth place in the Premier League table, their best-ever finish in English football
- The Spaniard finished third in the Premier League for most chances created from open play for a full-back in the 2021/22 season
Manchester City is reportedly making a move on Brighton & Hove Albion defender Marc Cucurella as one of their main transfer window targets as Pep Guardiola looks to solidify his title-winning back line.
Brighton’s star Marc Cucurella. Photo: Brighton $ Hove Albion
Cucurella has made a great impression since joining the Amex Stadium in a £15 million deal from Getafe last August.
Following his signing, he did start every League Match and was named both the Seagulls’ Supporters’ and Players’ Player of the Year at the end of the season
As a result, the city’s interest is not surprising. Neither does the £50 million or $61.3 million price tag imposed on Cucurella by Brighton chairman Tony Bloom, which will not be reduced and may force the champions to walk away from negotiations.
Bloom, who made his fortune through poker tournaments and gambling, is not a chairman who often blinks during such negotiations.
Brighton has complete control, with Cucurella’s contract with the club expiring in four years. They are not under any obligation to sell.
Cucurella’s offer in defence and attack
First, there are the figures. Cucurella finished third in the Premier League for most chances created from open play for a full-back in 2021/22, trailing only Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson. Given Jurgen Klopp’s reliance on his full-backs, Cucurella is in good company.
Cucurella made the third most tackles of any fullback, trailing only Tyrick Mitchell of Crystal Palace and Stuart Dallas of Leeds United.
Whereas many full-backs favour attack over defence, Cucurella is exceptionally destructive and intriguing from now on as he is stable and dependable at the back.
Cucurella’s positional versatility
Marc Cucurella. Photo: Skysports
Cucurella spent his first five months as a Brighton player almost entirely as a left wing-back in a 3-5-2 formation. Until Feb.
The selling of Dan Burn to Newcastle United, with injuries issues and suspensions to Dunk and Adam Webster, left the Seagulls short on centre-backs.
Potter devised the plan to use Cucurella as the left-sided centre-back in his three-person defence. Cucurella had never played a role like this before in his life.
It takes a particular type of player to learn a new position on the task in the Premier League’s high-pressure environment.
Cucurella’s attacking intent has not been diminished by having more defensive responsibility put on him.
Ball-playing centre-backs who can also play in midfield are famous, especially if your name is Pep Guardiola, and Cucurella takes that to a whole different level.
He demonstrated this by springing up from centre-back to assist Bissouma for Brighton’s third goal against Wolves in April, followed by scoring his first Premier League goal against Manchester United in a 4-0 crushing defeat.
With his creative ability to play as a centre-back, Cucurella is now, in effect, three players in one – a wing-back, an orthodox full-back and a central defender.
City could spend £30 million on a new centre-back and £30 million on a new left-back, or £50 million or $61.3milliom on Cucurella, and cover both positions for the price of one. Cucurella has a lot of versatility, which is a desirable trait.
Cucurella is young
At 23, Cucurella has still time to reach at the top of his career. Photo: The Argus
Cucurella, who is only 23, is still a few years away from his prime. Despite arriving in Sussex as a young man who spoke no English and had never lived outside of Spain, he has undoubtedly improved in one season.
Cucurella can become one of the world’s most excellent full-backs if he continues to improve at his current rate.
Working every day alongside a coach like Guardiola, who has a proven track record of getting the most out of young players under his mentorship, would only speed up that.
Brighton’s £50m price tag charged on Cucurella’s head may appear large now to those who have not followed Cucurella week in and week out during the 2021/22 seasons.
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