Needgoal learned that Chelsea and Brighton have struck a complete deal for the transfer of defender Marc Cucurella.
Although Manchester City has also been strongly connected with a bid for the Spaniard, the Blues moved quickly to capture the left-back as their fourth acquisition of the summer transfer season.
The Seagulls set a price for the 24-year-old that the Citizens were unable to match, and he is expected to sign for more than £50 million.
Chelsea and Cucurella have already reached a personal agreement, so the only remaining steps before a formal announcement should be a medical exam and contract signature.
After losing Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen to free agency this summer, the former Barcelona player is the second name to join the defense.
The new player, who can play as a full-back, wing-back, and center-back on the left, will join Kalidou Koulibaly in the backline.
Thomas Tuchel has struggled to bring in the players he anticipated after a significant reorganization, so this signing is another one that he desperately needs.
The German manager felt the lack of movement may make for a challenging start to the season following a crushing 4-0 loss to Arsenal.
Tuchel told the journalists, “I cannot guarantee we will be prepared [for the start of the season] in two weeks.
“Since the players are the same, why should anything alter? We will see hopefully development but at the moment we have the same issues because we have the same players.”
It’s another another important addition for the Blues, but one player will be moving the other way. Levi Colwill, a youngster from the Chelsea academy, is reportedly planning a separate transfer to Brighton, according to Romano.
The 19-year-old made an impact when on loan at Huddersfield Town of the Championship last year, leading them to a playoff final but just missing out on promotion to Nottingham Forest.
Given the likely dearth of first-team minutes following his return to Stamford Bridge, his future remains unknown. Plenty of sides have shown interest, however it seems as though the Seagulls have won that battle.
The exchange may seem like a good short-term success for Tuchel’s men, but it remains to be seen whether they will regret losing Colwill or if the move for Cucurella will work.
However, after Fabrizio Romano broke the Cucurella news, Brighton has released an official club statement that there’s no agreement with any club for the departure of the player.
CLUB STATEMENT: MARC CUCURELLA.
Contrary to inaccurate reports from numerous media outlets this evening, no agreement has been reached with any club to sell Marc Cucurella.
— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) August 3, 2022
