Mark Cucurella’s move from Brighton to Chelsea has been confirmed in a deal that could be worth £62m. Chelsea are paying a guaranteed £55m for the left-back and up to £7m more in bonuses.
Chelsea defender Levi Colville, 19, has joined Brighton on a season-long loan and Marcos Alonso is confident Cucurella’s arrival will clear the way for him to move to Barcelona. Alonso is waiting for the green light from Thomas Tuchel.
Cucurella signed a contract until 2028 and Chelsea signed him up just in time for a potential debut on Saturday at Everton. The 24-year-old was also targeted by Manchester City, who were unwilling to pay the asking price.
Brighton manager Graham Potter said: “We didn’t want to lose Mark, but he wanted the opportunity to play Champions League football to accelerate his progress into Spain’s World Cup squad. Of course, we are disappointed with Mark’s departure, but we wish him all the best. He had a great first season in the Premier League, deserving of both Player of the Season awards and was a pleasure to work with.”
Cucurella joined Brighton from Getafe last summer and made one appearance for Spain. Tuchel said one of the benefits of signing was to take the pressure off Ben Chilwell, who suffered a cruciform injury last November.
“He’s young, hungry, mobile and a very smart player,” the coach said of Cucurella. “It helps with depth and quality, and it helps with Ben to avoid the pressure of ‘I have to deliver and we need you right now.’
Brighton have allowed Shane Duffy to join Fulham on loan after signing Colville, who spent last season at Huddersfield.