United are in talks with Chelsea over a loan deal for Marc Cucurella as transfer deadline day nears.
It was Marc Cucurella who was in tears but plenty of Manchester United fans will have felt like crying.
The Spaniard had just lashed in for Brighton to double their lead over the Reds at the Amex Stadium in 2022. The Seagulls would go on to win 4-0 on an afternoon where United, badly drifting under Ralf Rangnick with Erik ten Hag waiting in the wings to take charge in the summer, were woeful.
Brighton were full value for their win and Cucurella took his goal superbly, firing into the top corner shortly after half-time. He was one of the leading performers on the day, playing as a left-sided centre-back but showing the attacking intent to get forward where possible.
The strike remains the 25-year-old’s only goal in English football and it capped a stunning season at Brighton which prompted Chelsea to shell out in excess of £60m to bring him to Stamford Bridge. Pep Guardiola and Manchester City were also keen but baulked at the price. But he commanded that fee for a reason, and if the Reds could sign him for a fraction of the cost then it could represent a real bargain.
Things have not gone to plan at Stamford Bridge for the full-back and he’s been deemed surplus to requirements by new manager Mauricio Pochettino after a difficult first season where he played in a poor side under multiple managers. But his debut campaign in the Premier League, where he ranked among the top six in the league for tackles and regaining possession in defensive areas, showed his ability and why United see him as a solution to their left-back crisis.
The Reds are working on a loan deal for the Barcelona academy graduate, who can play left-back and left-sided centre-half while also offering the modern-day trait of playing as an inverted full-back in midfield. Cucurella will be seeking to rekindle a career that included an appearance for Barcelona, an Olympic silver medal with Spain and plenty of plaudits at Brighton.
He is by his own admission a dressing room joker – ‘In all of my clubs I like to joke, funny moments’ with a personality to match his hair cut, which isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. “No, never. It is my style,” he said last year.
His style as a player saw him breakthrough at Barcelona, albeit with just one senior appearance to his name. But he trained with some of the best in the business in Lionel Messi and Neymar, honing his skills against some of the greatest attacking talent of his generation and others.
He went on loan to Eibar and Getafe for first-team opportunities before joining the latter permanently, where he earned his Premier League chance with Brighton. His upbringing at Barca means he is well-versed in a possession-based game while his development at the Amex showcased his ability to learn and adapt.
He didn’t speak English on arriving on these shores with his young family, the subject of that emotional goal celebration against the Reds, but is now comfortable with the language and the fast paced nature of Premier League football. Moving to a third club in as many seasons will certainly not have been part of his plan but an Old Trafford move offers a win, win scenario for club and player.
His year in a ‘big club’ environment at Chelsea will have helped him, even if things didn’t go to plan on the pitch.
“I’ve really enjoyed it but of course it’s difficult,” he said of the shift in playing for the Blues as oppose to Brighton. “You have more pressure and you need to win every day. At Brighton it’s different because you don’t have the same pressures and it’s not a big, big club so that has been the one big change for me. But it’s just amazing for me to be at such a big club.”
Few clubs come bigger than United and the defender will hope his move can revive his career and help kickstart the Reds’ season. If he is a success, the tears of joy might just come again.
