Marc Cucurella was one of the earliest signings of the BlueCo era at Chelsea – and it looks like he might now be on his way out.
Cucurella joined from Brighton in 2022 for £55m, rising to £62m with add-ons. Famously, Todd Boehly – then acting as director of football – said that he signed the left-back because he was on Manchester City’s radar, ergo he must be right for Chelsea too.
And while the logic itself there might be suspect, Cucurella has ultimately been one of the most successful signings under BlueCo. Despite some early turbulence in his career at Stamford Bridge, the Spaniard has evolved into a fan favourite.
News, then, that clubs including Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid have varying degrees of interest in the 27-year-old, with the first two having made contact with the player, will not go down well among fans.
Who would you sign to replace Marc Cucurella?
He hasn't ruled out a Chelsea exit…
Marc Cucurella discussing his future
But Chelsea are in a bind when it comes to the financial settlement they agreed with UEFA last summer based on their UEFA Club Licensing and Financial Sustainability Regulations, formerly known as Financial Fair Play or FFP.
While their pitiful end to 2025-26 ensured that Xabi Alonso will not take over a side playing European football next season, Chelsea still face a potential ban from European competition the next time they qualify if they breach the terms of the settlement in the coming season.
Under the terms, Chelsea must not lose more than €60m (about £52m) this season. If they do, they face a fine proportionate to the breach, while any breach that is more than €20m (about £17.5m) above the €60m threshold will result in a ban from European football for one season.
Given that Chelsea’s operating losses since BlueCo bought the club have totalled nearly £700m, staying within those parameters will be a tall order – and nigh on impossible without significant player sales.
So, to what extent would Cucurella, if sold, help to bridge the gap?
Marc Cucurella playing for Chelsea with his back to camera
Photo by George Wood/Getty Images
Assuming that the £7m in add-ons included in his deal have been met, his remaining book value will be about £21m, or perhaps slightly higher when incorporating agents’ fees, which are amortised (an accounting term for spreading the cost of a transfer over a player’s contract) over the same period.
That means any money above £21m would be profit for Chelsea – and TalkSPORT report that Chelsea value Cucurella at about £61m.
If they hold firm on their asking price, that could mean a £41m profit on the player, in bottom-line terms at least. And while that would clearly not be enough on its own, it would make a respectable dent in the gap that Chelsea must make up to avoid a European ban.
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