08/06/2026
Cucurella prefers Barcelona move, but deal hinges on balde's departure
3 hours ago / autty
According to Mundo Deportivo, Cucurella prioritizes joining Barcelona, but the deal depends on Balde's departure.
Cucurella, 27, prioritizes playing for Barcelona. However, he also knows that this cannot be guaranteed in the short term, as Barcelona has other transfer priorities, the main one being to sign a striker after Lewandowski's contract expires and he leaves.
In addition, Cucurella understands that his situation is linked to Alejandro Balde, and he can only join if Balde leaves. In any case, the Catalan full-back explicitly wants to end his spell at Chelsea. The best proof of this is that Cucurella has informed Chelsea, with whom he has a contract until 2029, that he does not intend to stay.
Cucurella believes that his time at Stamford Bridge is completely over. Both he and Chelsea understand that if a suitable offer that matches his ability and transfer cost is received this summer, leaving will be the best solution. Chelsea values the left-back at between 40 and 50 million euros.
After spending 68 million euros to sign Cucurella from Brighton in 2022, Chelsea believes that the current asking price is reasonable and will help facilitate a deal that satisfies all parties.
Several strong European teams are closely monitoring Cucurella's situation. Barcelona is still interested in the player from Alella, and Hans Flick greatly appreciates his technical ability, physical condition, and tactical adaptability. Cucurella is also willing to return to his former home and wear the Barcelona jersey again.
However, any move by Barcelona will depend on the possible departure of Alejandro Balde, a factor that is still determining the pace of this deal.
In addition to Barcelona, Cucurella has also attracted interest from teams in the Premier League and other major European leagues. Manchester City, Manchester United, Atletico Madrid, and Real Madrid have been closely following his situation in recent months. In fact, in the Spanish market, Atletico Madrid has shown the most interest and has been the most consistent in monitoring the Catalan full-back.
Bayern Munich was also interested in Cucurella a few months ago, but this option is now considered largely ruled out.
Currently, Cucurella is not in a hurry to decide his future. He is fully focused on the World Cup and plans to make a final decision after the national team tournament.
If Barcelona makes a firm commitment, Cucurella is willing to wait until the end. But the reality is that, so far, Barcelona cannot give him such a guarantee, as the club has other priorities.
Even so, the transfer market is still open. If 22-year-old Alejandro Balde takes a step to leave, the situation could change rapidly. Balde's contract with Barcelona runs until 2028, and he is not currently considering leaving, although he did not feel good at the end of the season because Cancelo, who joined in the winter window, has taken the starting left-back position in Flick's eyes.
Meanwhile, if Cucurella receives a very lucrative offer with a convincing sporting project, he does not rule out accelerating the pace and deciding his future earlier than planned.
