A big-money member of the first-team setup at Premier League giants Chelsea has, on Saturday, spoken out over his future with the club.
The player in question? Marc Cucurella.
Left-back Cucurella, of course, only made the move to Stamford Bridge last summer.
Fresh off a stellar debut campaign with Brighton & Hove Albion, the powers that be at Chelsea agreed to fork over a hefty £60 million to bring the Spaniard to west London.
To say that Cucurella failed to reach the heights of his form in Brighton colours across his first season in Chelsea blue, though, would be something of an understatement.
All told, the 24-year-old managed starts in just 21 of his new club’s 38 Premier League outings.
Such woes, in turn, have led to inevitable chatter surrounding a swift summer exit for the former Getafe standout.
To this point, the likes of Newcastle United and Atletico Madrid have both been tipped as potential landing spots.
Speaking to the media on Friday, it therefore came as little surprise when the subject of his future in England’s capital was put to Cucurella himself.
The defender, though, made use of the opportunity to shut down any and all speculation surrounding his name, assuring that he remains ‘happy’ at Chelsea:
“I read a lot of things [about a transfer], but I am happy here,” he explained to James Olley of ESPN.
“I came here for the project. Obviously, the first season was not easy, but not only for me; for all the players, it was not easy because when you don’t win, you don’t stay happy.
“When you don’t play well, it is difficult to stay happy. But this is the past, so if the manager says they want me to stay and be part of the squad, I am very happy, and I try to do my best for the team. And as well, to show the fans and my teammates what my level is.”
Exclusive interview with Marc Cucurella. On why he wants to stay at Chelsea, fan criticism, how he struggled to cope with the pressure of playing for a big club, the lack of fight last season – “one of the worst in my career” – and Pochettino’s arrival. https://t.co/ecvIs7Ks7T
— James Olley (@JamesOlley) July 22, 2023
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