Chelsea wing-back Marc Cucurella emerges as a candidate for a late summer move to Manchester United, though the Spanish player has already shared his thoughts on the ‘pressure’ associated with playing at bigger clubs.
Cucurella’s time at Stamford Bridge following a significant £56 million transfer from Brighton last summer was marked by difficulties. Despite reuniting with his former Seagulls manager, Graham Potter, for six months during the season, he struggled to reach his peak performance. Despite occasional successes, such as being named Man of the Match in the Champions League Round of 16 win against Borussia Dortmund, Cucurella faced challenges. His own fans even booed him during a February draw against West Ham. Despite injury problems for Ben Chilwell, the 25-year-old lost his place in Chelsea’s starting lineup towards the end of the season to young player Lewis Hall. With the return of England international Chilwell, Cucurella’s position in the team further declined, increasing the possibility of a potential move.
With Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia dealing with injuries, and Brandon Williams on loan at Ipswich, Manchester United is actively seeking a new left-back. In the recent victory against Nottingham Forest, Diogo Dalot, primarily a right-back, played in the left-back position.
However, Cucurella, who progressed through Barcelona’s youth system and had successful stints at Eibar, Getafe, and Brighton, has openly discussed the added pressure that comes with playing for larger clubs. He noted that the shift in mindset when moving to bigger clubs can be challenging, as the expectations to win every game can be overwhelming. In a previous interview with ESPN, Cucurella said, ‘Playing my entire career at smaller clubs, I haven’t experienced this pressure. When you join these big clubs, you feel the pressure, and sometimes it’s not easy to perform under that pressure.’
He emphasized the need to adapt to these situations and highlighted the importance of continuous improvement despite facing both good and bad times.
These insights could be pertinent to Manchester United’s interest, given the club’s massive fan base and the heightened attention they attract. Alongside Cucurella, United is also considering options like Barcelona’s Marcos Alonso and Brentford’s Rico Henry.”