Chelsea’s Marc Cucurella has told [AS](https://as.com/) that when he moved to England, he was surprised his Brighton teammates wanted to play for Real Madrid and Barcelona over the Blues or Arsenal.
The Spain international first arrived in England when Brighton & Hove Albion signed him from Getafe in 2021. A year later, he left the Seagulls to join the Club World Cup winners.
Cucurella initially struggled at Chelsea before finding his feet in his second season at the west London club. This helped him regain his place in the national team and he went on to win Euro 2024.
AS were keen to know the defender’s views on Premier League spending power, with clubs reportedly spending five times that of La Liga this summer.
_“I don’t know, but I think the distribution of money in England is greater. For example, the teams that are promoted get a lot of money, and in the end, that means all teams can sign great players, and that evens out the league. That’s why every game in the Premier League is a battle,”_ he said.
_“Sunderland, who just got promoted, have invested €200m in players, and Crystal Palace has signed two of La Liga’s best players, like Yeremy and Uche. That’s something they should fix, because La Liga is falling a little further behind the Premier League, and that’s driving players to England to play.”_
The Chelsea player went on to say he was shocked to find out his former Brighton teammates had desire to join Barcelona and Real Madrid over moving elsewhere in the Premier League.
_“In the end, Barca and Real Madrid are the ones who are able to compete with the Premier League clubs. They’re both very high-level,”_ Cucurella explained.
_“When I arrived in England, at my first team there, which was Brighton, I was surprised that English players were aiming to play for Real Madrid or Barcelona, not Arsenal or Chelsea._
_“That’s when I realised the appeal of Real Madrid and Barca, that they have fans all over the world._
_“Real Madrid and Barca may not have the financial means of the Premier League teams and can’t afford to pay such high contracts, but their history and reputation allow them to sign many good players.”_