Chelsea already preparing Cucurella upgrade: Alonso targets €50m replacement

Analysis

Robin Bairner | Chief Editor

Accredited football journalist and editor covering the game since 2006

Chelsea left-back Marc Cucurella is one step away from joining Real Madrid after the World Cup, but while it represents a blow for Xabi Alonso’s side to lose the experienced Spaniard, it offers them an opportunity to upgrade – and they already have the perfect player in their sights.

Fabrizio Romano announced on Sunday that Cucurella had agreed to leave Chelsea to join Los Blancos in a move that came as a shock in terms of the timing.

Although there had been strong rumours linking the 27-year-old with a move back to his homeland, there was a widespread insistence that no deal was imminent.

Current ETV

Marc Cucurella

D (L)

Chelsea

Marc Cucurella

D (L)

Chelsea

€45.9M

ETV Range

€41.3M - €50.5M

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“He is not going to create problems for Chelsea and he is not going to force a move. After the World Cup, the situation could change,” Romano told his YouTube channel just a couple of days previously.

Cucurella himself had claimed in an interview with Marca: “I'm very happy where I am, and so is my family… Right now, I'm focused on the World Cup and enjoying this experience, which is my first and who knows if it will be my last.”

Chelsea are set for a substantial income from Cucurella’s transfer fee, with David Ornstein reporting that they will land up to €60 million for the sale, €55m of which is guaranteed.

Cucurella gives Alonso an early headache

With Cucurella departing, the Stamford Bridge side is waving goodbye to a player who had grown disillusioned with life at the London club.

He had previously criticised BlueCo’s transfer policy and, along with Enzo Fernandez, hinted that he wanted to leave the club.

Ironically, his departure will leave Xabi Alonso’s squad shorn of one of their few experienced pros and leaves the new manager, who will take a prominent role in transfer policy, in need of a readymade replacement.

Thankfully for Chelsea fans, he may have just the figure he needs primed – someone who will arrive in the capital as an upgrade on Cucurella.

Andrea Cambiaso: Chelsea eye Cucurella upgrade who’s perfect for Alonso

Juventus’ Andrea Cambiaso has emerged as Chelsea’s leading option to replace Cucurella, according to a report from Gazzetta dello Sport earlier this month.

Cambiaso is no stranger to interest from the Premier League. The left wing-back has spent much of the last 18 months being linked with a move to Manchester City.

Juventus had managed to fend off these overtures, yet the Turin giants are not in a strong position to do so again after they failed to qualify for the Champions League.

Juve boss Luciano Spalletti has praised Cambiaso’s intelligent and persistent movement, which creates space across the field. However, he has also been blamed for technical errors and poor judgement, which makes him a more sellable asset for the Bianconeri.

Nevertheless, he will not go cheaply. A transfer in the region of €40-50 million is discussed by Italian sources.

Cambiaso vs Cucurella: Chelsea are poised to upgrade

Chelsea could be the big winners from this situation, according to SciSports.

The data analytics experts indicate that Cambiaso would arrive at Stamford Bridge and would immediately become a key member of Alonso’s squad.

Indeed, this deal offers Alonso an opening to deploy a three-man defence as he did so successfully with Leverkusen as the Italian is strongest in a wing-back role. Cambiaso, who at 26 is a year younger than Cucurella, offers more obvious attacking qualities, particularly in terms of his crossing and dribbling.

SciSports, meanwhile, indicates that he is simply a stronger player than Cucurella. He has a greater SciSkill than the current Chelsea star, with this figure calculated based on hundreds of in-game data points.

The caveat to this is that Cucurella has been in the midst of a dramatic slump in recent months and has a higher peak score than the Italy international. If he were to regain his best level of 106.6, he would be marginally the stronger player.

Time for Cucurella to go?

Chelsea have yet to make any solid progress in the transfer market under Alonso, with plenty of rumours but little substance thus far.

With Cucurella now definitively heading towards the exit, Chelsea must be braced for change, and with Cambiaso on the market and in the Blues’ sights, they have the opportunity to upgrade.