Marc Cucurella: ‘Turning down Barcelona would be challenging’; Chelsea ‘somewhat distant from peak performance’
Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella has indicated a potential return to Barcelona, stating it would be challenging to decline an opportunity to join the Spanish champions.
Cucurella, 27, progressed through Barça’s youth system, making a single first-team appearance before moving on to Eibar, Getafe, Brighton, and Chelsea.
ESPN has previously reported that Barça is eager to bolster their full-back positions this summer, with the Spain left-back expressing that he could be enticed by a return to Spotify Camp Nou.
“It would be difficult to turn down [Barça],” he mentioned during a press conference prior to Spain’s friendly against Egypt on Tuesday at Espanyol’s RCDE Stadium in Barcelona.
“And not just for me. I would need to consider my family as well. If [an offer] arises, it arises, and we will have to evaluate what decision we would make.”
Cucurella joined Chelsea in 2022 from Brighton and has a contract that extends until 2028, but in a separate discussion with The Athletic, he implied that the club’s approach of acquiring young talent may not align with his personal aspirations.
He noted that the loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League round of 16 underscored that the Blues are not yet at the level of Europe’s elite teams.
“Results like that are always difficult to accept,” Cucurella stated. “You are competing and training daily only to realize, at the very end, that when it matters, we are still somewhat distant from the top level.
“I recognize this is part of the club’s strategy and they aim to pursue this path — signing young players and focusing on the future. However, for all of us who remain here and aspire to achieve significant success, moments like this can be disheartening.
“We have a solid core of players. The foundations are in place. But to contend for major trophies like the Premier League or the Champions League, additional resources are necessary.”
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Cucurella disagreed with Chelsea decision to sack Maresca
He also shared that, while new coach Liam Rosenior is a “very good person” who has been “excellent at managing the group,” he did not agree with the choice to dismiss Enzo Maresca earlier in the season.
“The moment Maresca departed, it had a significant effect on us,” he added. “These are decisions made by the club. If you were to ask me, I would not have made that choice.
“To implement a change like that, it is preferable to wait until the end of the season. This would provide everyone, including the players and the new manager, time to prepare and have a complete pre-season.
“The instability surrounding the club stems from this, in essence. We had a caretaker [former under-21s coach Calum McFarlane] initially, then a new manager, with fresh ideas and insufficient time to develop them. It is what it is.”
