After Enzo Fernandez flirted with Real Madrid during the break, many feel his future at Chelsea is in doubt. But what about Marc Cucurella’s future, after his comments regarding Barcelona?
Fernandez has been linked with Real Madrid, and reports claim Fernandez dreams of becoming a legend at Madrid. There are other clubs interested too, with PSG and Atletico Madrid supposedly keeping tabs.
The situation with Cucurella is different. Chelsea punished Fernandez with a two-game ban, but Cucurella seemed almost apologetic behind the scenes after admitting he would be open to joining Barcelona.
Who would you sign to replace Marc Cucurella?
He hasn't ruled out a Chelsea exit…
Marc Cucurella discussing his future
Ultimately, Cucurella’s criticism was something that fans had been thinking anyway, and while Chelsea would have preferred it to remain internal, it is hardly something they can argue. What about his future?
Where do Chelsea now stand on Marc Cucurella’s future?
In an ideal world, Chelsea would prefer to keep Fernandez and Cucurella and everything to be rosy. They qualify for the Champions League, and all their best players remain injury-free at the 2026 World Cup.
But that is optimistic, at best. Fernandez will finish his ban this weekend, but realistically, his future is not going to be at Chelsea for much longer. What for Cucurella, who is clearly considering his options.
Everton v Chelsea - Premier League
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Well, Athletic writer Liam Twomey told the Straight Outta Cobham podcast that Cucurella’s comments will not actually change “the dial” when it comes to the club’s position on whether they want to sell Cucurella.
“I think he’s (Cucurella) one of the better-paid players in the squad, which always means that you could be a candidate to be sold if they want to rebalance things from a salary point of view,” Twomey said.
“I don’t know if the interview that he did with us has shifted the dial one way or the other. I don’t think that Chelsea were happy at all, but they’ve certainly reacted differently to him than to Enzo Fernandez.
“And the distinction, as it’s been explained to me, is that Fernandez’s actions and words were perceived to have disrespected the club by essentially flirting with another club at a crucial stage while under contract.
“Whereas Cucurella said what a lot of fans feel. The club would rather they communicated internally, rather than saying it in interviews. I don’t think that will necessarily increase the chances of him leaving.”
Enzo Fernandez and Marc Cucurella’s first sighting after the Chelsea comments 👀
Anything to take away from this?
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Chelsea would make a loss on Marc Cucurella if they sold him
Recently, Todd Boehly said he only signed Cucurella because Man City wanted him. It highlights Boehly’s lack of footballing knowledge but ultimately, Cucurella has been one of the better signings under Boehly.
Bought for £60m from Brighton when he had just turned 24, Cucurella will now turn 28 in the summer. The left-back has two years remaining on his contract, meaning an exit is possible for the Spain defender.
While Cucurella is Spain’s first-choice left-back these days, the chances of Chelsea raking in £60m for the defender feels unlikely. If the Blues were to sell, they would do well to get anything close to £50m.
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