Chelsea is open to offers for defender Marc Cucurella as they contemplate a potential January transfer, sources have informed ESPN. Despite his £62 million ($75.5m) signing from Brighton, Cucurella has only made his second appearance of the season in Wednesday’s 1-0 Carabao Cup fourth-round victory against his former club. He has yet to play a single minute in the Premier League since Mauricio Pochettino took charge in July.
In an exclusive interview with ESPN in July, Cucurella expressed his desire to stay at Chelsea and compete for his spot. However, the lack of regular playing time in the upcoming months is likely to prompt a reassessment of his situation.
During the summer, Chelsea was prepared to loan the 25-year-old to Manchester United. However, the deal fell through after Cucurella played in Chelsea’s previous Carabao Cup match against AFC Wimbledon. FIFA regulations state that a player cannot represent three clubs in a single season, causing negotiations to break down when United proposed a break clause allowing Cucurella’s return to Chelsea.
Reports from Spain have linked Real Madrid to a potential loan bid in January, a prospect that appeals to Cucurella, considering it would take him back to his home country. United is unlikely to re-enter the race as they signed Sergio Reguilón on loan from Tottenham after shifting their focus away from Cucurella.
Chelsea’s preference is a permanent transfer to help balance their finances after another summer of spending, which pushed Chelsea’s total expenditure on transfers past the £1 billion mark since Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital completed their takeover of the club in May.