Chelsea: 'Outstanding' £45m star would be 'surprise signing' at Stamford Bridge

Chelsea target Marc Cucurella would be a surprise arrival if he makes the switch from Brighton and Hove Albion this summer, according to Daily Star journalist Paul Brown.

The 23-year-old impressed throughout his maiden campaign in the Premier League in 2021/22 and had been linked with a handful of top teams on the back of his performances.

According to The Sun, Chelsea have joined Tottenham Hotspur and reigning English champions Manchester City in the race for Cucurella’s signature.

It’s claimed that Brighton have placed a £45 million price tag on the marauding left wing-back, nearly triple the fee they paid Getafe for his services less than 12 months ago.

Cucurella is said to feel loyalty towards the Seagulls but recently admitted that interest from sides as successful and ambitious as City is hard to dismiss.

“If the opportunity arises, you have to take advantage of it. There are teams that you can’t say no to,” revealed the Spain international.

O’Rourke believes Cucurella ‘has a huge future’ but has doubts over whether he is the sort of player Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel would ‘put his trust in’.

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He told GiveMeSport: “He’s a really good player, Cucurella; he has a huge future and surprised a lot of people when he came into the Premier League with how quickly he settled.

“He just doesn’t feel, at the moment, like a Chelsea player. He doesn’t feel like someone that Tuchel will put his trust in, so I would be surprised if they went for him.”

Chelsea are believed to be in the market for a new wing-back as Marcos Alonso is keen to return to Spain, and La Liga giants Barcelona are eager to prise him away from west London.

And while Cucurella has the