Chelsea are set to sign a new left-back which could see Cucurella deemed expendable as the Blues prioritise youth
Chelsea’s transfer strategy under BlueCo’s ownership largely involves stockpiling top talent under the age of 23, and the imminent signing of a promising young left-back could spell the end of Marc Cucurella at the club.
As well as Chelsea, BlueCo owns French club Strasbourg, who are often used as a stepping stone for developing talented players before shipping them to Stamford Bridge.
One of those is Argentinian left-back Valentín Barco. The 22-year-old was signed by Brighton & Hove Albion in January of 2024 for around €9m, before Strasbourg picked him up for around the same fee last summer.
Barco, after playing the last match of the Ligue 1 season on Sunday, posted a message on social media announcing he would be leaving Strasbourg, with all signals pointing to a move to Stamford Bridge in the summer transfer window.
“Today I say goodbye to this club. I always gave everything on the pitch in every game for this shirt,” Barco wrote on social media.
“I want to thank my teammates, who made everything easier for me; Liam Rosenior and his staff for the confidence they showed in me and for helping shape me as a player; Gary O’Neil and his staff for understanding me and helping me improve; everyone at the club who supports us every day; and the fans for the love they always gave me. Thank you, Strasbourg.”
Barco began his senior career at left back, and although he has operated more often as a central midfielder this past season, his profile suits the role of an inverted full-back that incoming manager Xabi Alonso likes to deploy.
At Bayer Leverkusen, Alonso used Alejandro Grimaldo as a key creative source, starting at left-back before moving centrally when in possession.
And at Real Madrid, Álvaro Carreras was given a prominent role in Los Blancos’ attacking build-up, picking up the ball high up the field and linking play with Vinicius Junior.
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Cucurella to Barcelona?
The imminent arrival of Barco could spell the end of Marc Cucurella at Chelsea. The Spaniard, who turns 28 in the summer, is under contract until 2028 but has recently admitted that a return to his home country, and particularly to FC Barcelona, would be hard to reject despite enjoying his time in England.
“Spain is always Spain. It is where I grew up and you always think about going back,” he said in late March ahead of the Spanish national team’s friendly match with Egypt.
“But I would leave it for a few years down the line. I am very happy here and it is a great life experience.
“It is clear that, if that situation [of Barcelona making an offer], did arise, it is hard to turn down, but I would have to consider.
“It is not just me, I also have to think about my family and together we would have to decide what’s best for us.
“As I have said before, right now I am not thinking about that. If it comes, it will come, and we will see what decision is made.”
Cucurella came through the ranks at Barcelona as a youth player, making a couple of cup appearances before being sold to Eibar, then being re-signed, and sold again to Getafe.
One of the positions that Barcelona are open to strengthening this summer is the left-back role. Alejandro Balde is the only natural left-back in the squad, but his injury record means that Barça would look for further reinforcements in that position.
João Cancelo was brought in on loan in January to help cover for Balde, a switch that has been a success for Hansi Flick‘s side, and the club are keen on making that move permanent. Given the Portuguese defender’s ability to operate on both sides of the defence, his potential signing would not rule out a move for another full-back.
Should Cucurella become available, it is likely that sporting director Deco would be open to exploring the possibility of a transfer as he looks to strengthen the squad with proven quality.
