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Chelsea defender Mark Cucurella’s agent has poured cold water on a report linking the Spaniard with a return to La Liga with Atletico Madrid.
Cucurella representative Alvaro Dominguez took a screenshot of the report claiming the left-back could join Atlético Madrid for €65m. He dismissed those suggestions, saying (via transportation expert Fabrizio Romano):
“fake news”.
The Spaniard arrived at Chelsea from Brighton & Hove Albion last summer for €65.3m. He joined the Blues at the back of a season that saw him named the Seagulls Player of the Year.
However, Cucurella struggled at Stamford Bridge in his first season with West London. He lacked form, making 33 appearances across competitions and providing three assists.
The Spanish defender was re-joined by his former Brighton manager, Graham Potter, but the pair failed to live up to expectations. Potter was shown at the door in March while Cucurella’s future was the subject of speculation.
Despite this, his agent ruled out a return to La Liga. He started his career with Espanyol before moving to Barcelona and Getafe. That was until Brighton lured him into the Premier League in 2021.
Cucurella has five years left on his Chelsea contract and could rediscover his form under Mauricio Pochettino. The Argentine coach will work with his new team, the Blues, in July, in preparation for the new season.
Chelsea coach Mauricio Pochettino is keen to keep Kepa Arrizabalaga as his number one
According to transfer expert Romano, Chelsea are satisfied with Kepa Arrizabalaga continuing as Pochettino’s goalkeeper next season. The Blues have been linked with several shooting guards this summer but they don’t seem to prioritize this position.
Kepa had a mixed season last year, displacing Edouard Mendy in goal. However, the Spaniard has kept just 12 clean sheets in 39 appearances across competitions and has never been overly reliable.
Romano claims that if the West London giants got into the market for a new goalkeeper, he would be a backup. He said on his YouTube channel:
“Chelsea are seriously considering Kepa as their first choice goalkeeper, and signing a second goalkeeper in the market to replace Edouard Mendy, who can create competition.”
Mendy left Stamford Bridge and joined Saudi Professional League giants Al-Ahly for €18.5m. One goalkeeper named as a potential option to provide competition for Kepa is Anatoliy Trubin from Shakhtar Donetsk.
Tropin kept 14 clean sheets in 38 matches across competitions last season. Transfermarkt values the 21-year-old at €22m.
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