Chelsea could be in position to hand potential new signing Marc Cucurella after the Blues have looked to hijack Manchester City's deal for the 24-year-old.
football.london understands that Chelsea are in advanced talks with Brighton & Hove Albion over a deal to sign Cucurella after Man City had been the front-runners to sign the Spaniard all summer long. Talks between the Premier League champions and Brighton recently broke down, with the Seagulls looking for £50 million.
Cucurella handed in an official transfer request at the Amex Stadium last week, but Brighton did not lower their asking price. Chelsea are now confident they can match that and have made it clear to the Seagulls that they will indeed do so.
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If he had signed for Manchester City, the club would not have been able to give him his favourite number 3 jersey - donned by club captain Ruben Dias.
However, Chelsea, could be in a position to do so. Marcos Alonso currently occupies the jersey, but the Spaniard continues to be linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge - a move which would almost certainly come to pass should Cucurella join, with Alonso falling further down the pecking order.
Cucurella had an impressive first season in the Premier League with Brighton, after signing from Getafe in 2021.
Chelsea's interest in Cucurella can be dated back to when the 24-year-old was playing for the aforementioned Spanish club.
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