Brighton and Hove Albion have released official statements that, contrary to reports, they have not agreed to the sale of Mark Cucurella.
On Wednesday night, it was reported that Chelsea had agreed a £50m transfer fee with the Seagulls after defeating Manchester City in response to the Spanish defender’s signing.
He became the Blues’ third signing of the summer, after Raheem Sterling and Kalidou Koulibaly, ending a long-running search at left-back, allowing Kukurera to play full-back at full-back. and back at three.
However, a message posted on Brighton’s Twitter account that night read: “Contrary to inaccurate reports from many media outlets tonight, no agreement has been reached with any club for the sale of Mark Cucurella.”
The deal is said to have not been completed due to delays in the sale of Levi Colville, who was used as leverage in the sale of Cukurella, alongside Graham Potter.
Chelsea’s young and highly-rated centre-back Colville has links to a number of Premier League clubs this summer and could join Brighton for around £20m.
Cucurella had a successful first season at Brighton last season, making a £15m move from Getafe to help the Seagulls finish ninth all-time in the Premier League.
Following the transfer of Oleksandr Zinchenko to Arsenal this summer, City have shown interest in the 24-year-old as Pep Guardiola’s side need a new left-back.
However, Citizen did not want to pay more than £40m for the player, so Chelsea swooped in and hijacked the transfer fee, offering Brighton £10m more than expected.
To sweeten the deal, the Blues also offered to offer Colville as a direct replacement. This was something Potter might have preferred given the quality of the players and the need to quickly find a new defender with the new season just days away.
The news doesn’t mean the deal is completely off, but Kukurera is unlikely to sign for Chelsea’s first game of the season when Frank Lampard travels to Everton on Saturday night.
For more stories like this, visit our sports page .
Follow us for the latest news
Facebook, twitter and Instagram .
Source: Metro
Chad-98Weaver, a distinguished author at NewsBulletin247, excels in the craft of article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a penchant for storytelling, Chad delivers informative and engaging content that resonates with readers across various subjects. His contributions are a testament to his dedication and expertise in the field of journalism.
