Manchester United are about to sign a £60m defender that Pep Guardiola wanted at Man City

"Transfers are difficult," Pep Guardiola conceded last year when Chelsea were set to win the race for Marc Cucurella's signature.

Guardiola wanted Cucurella - who is a product of Barcelona's La Masia academy - at Manchester City, but Brighton never sell players from their talent conveyor belt cheaply and Chelsea had to agree a deal worth in excess of £60m to sign him.

Cucurella had been outstanding for Brighton as they finished ninth in the Premier League in 2021/22 and although it wasn't surprising to see interest in him from some of the division's biggest clubs, the hefty fee agreed was too much.

ALSO READ: Dean Henderson is leaving United with mixed emotions

City were unable to meet Brighton's valuation of the player but that was no problem for new Chelsea owner Todd Boehly, who was making a splash in the market and wildly spending his millions like an excitable toddler in a sweet shop.

Boehly has since put himself on the naughty step and stepped away from running the football side of the club. Chelsea have wasted an inconceivable fortune during his short reign and £60m for Cucurella was one of many poor decisions.

Thomas Tuchel was sacked shortly after Cucurella's arrival and even the appointment of Graham Potter at Stamford Bridge couldn't coax him back to form, with the left-back struggling to have the same impact as he did at Brighton.

Part of the justification for the fee invested in Cucurella was also his ability to play as a left-side centre-back, but Benoit Badiashile was signed in January to play in that role and Potter was sacked just a few months later.

Chelsea's scattergun approach was never going to work. They finished the season in 12th position, below sides like Crystal Palace, Fulham and Brentford