This summer is set to be a busy period at Chelsea, as Todd Boehly will want to show his support for his new manager, Enzo Maresca.
The Blues squad is already packed with talent across the board, but that won’t stop them from looking to improve this summer.
Michael Olise is one of their highest priorities this window, and they’ve already verbally agreed personal terms with the Frenchman, according to reports.
However, there’s currently a player in the Chelsea squad that cost the same as Olise’s release clause, and today, they’re worth two times less than the Crystal Palace ace.
What Chelsea paid for Marc Cucurella
During his first campaign in England, Marc Cucurella became regarded as one of the best left-backs in the Premier League at Brighton & Hove Albion.
From his first of his 35 league starts to his last during the 2020/21 campaign, the former Barcelona ace ticked every box a modern full-back needs, but he was already proving that prior to his arrival, with football scout Jacek Kulig describing him as a “playmaking full-back” and a “warrior.”
Therefore, after impressing massively as a versatile defender, in the summer of 2022, Chelsea signed Cucurella from Brighton for a whopping £60m.
The defender signed a six-year deal until 2028, earning a huge wage of £175k-per-week, making him one of the highest-paid left-backs in the Premier League, as per Capology.
What Cucurella’s value is in 2024
In his first season at Stamford Bridge, the number three featured rather frequently, starting 21 times in the Premier League, starting as both a left-back and a wide centre-half.
At times, Cucurella’s defensive ability was questioned, with even pundit Jamie Carragher saying that “he can’t defend” after a defeat to Manchester City.
Under Mauricio Pochettino last season, the 25-year-old made just 20 starts, even being benched for Levi Colwill towards the start of the campaign, but there were signs of improvement.
Towards the latter end of the campaign, he featured in the Argentine’s best XI often, which may just have saved his career at Chelsea beyond the summer.
Enzo Fernandez
£84m
Wesley Fofana
£17m
Mykhalo Mudryk
£51m
Marc Cucurella
£25m
Raheem Sterling
£34m
Nonetheless, as you can see, Cucurella’s value since moving to Stamford Bridge has plummeted, to the point where he’s now worth just £25m.
This means that he’s now worth over two times less than Olise, who has a £60m release clause, which just proves how quickly he’s lost his worth and how it may continue to decrease unless performances improve.
On top of that, it makes the Spanish defender one of the least-valuable consistent starting players at Chelsea, worth the exact same as Djordje Petrovic, for example.
Furthermore, it’s been reported recently that Chelsea are looking to secure themselves a new left-back, which suggests that Cucurella’s short stint as first-choice could come to an end rather swiftly.
Either Ben Chilwell or the Spaniard will have to leave for that to be the case, however, which means that the £60m they once spent on the latter looks set to be a huge mistake.
That’s not to say that Cucurella is an awful player and that he has no future under Maresca, but given his crazy price tag, he can’t exactly be regarded as a good signing.
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