Chelsea star Marc Cucurella has admitted to doubts about initially joining FC Barcelona as a youngster, at a time he’s being linked with a return to the Spotify Camp Nou.
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Chelsea star Marc Cucurella has admitted to doubts about initially joining FC Barcelona as a youngster, at a time he’s being linked with a return to the Spotify Camp Nou.
Cucurella is a La Masia product that progressed to the B team but didn’t make a single first team appearance. After passages through Eibar and Getafe, he found his feet at Brighton where he was then bought from Chelsea for an initial $75.2 million (£56 million) sum that could rise to $84 million (£63 million).
Now regarded as one of the world’s best left backs and a solidified Spain regular that won the Euros with La Roja, Cucurella has recently flirted with a possible return to Catalonia by admitting a proposal from the Blaugrana would be “difficult to refuse”.
As he revealed on an official podcast put together by the Spanish Football Federation called “The Star that Unites Us”, however, Cucurella admitted to doubts about joining Barça the first time as a rising youth talent.
Cucurella switched from Espanyol to FC Barcelona
“I had doubts about going to Barça. I was comfortable at Espanyol, I’d been there for many years, and I don’t really like the idea of change,” explained Cucurella, who was with the Pericos for six seasons.
“My family have always been Culers, and I used to go to the stadium with my grandfather, but I left behind many friends at Espanyol. I felt bad about leaving, even though it was an important step for my future,” Cucrella added.
Cucurella also recalled a night out that he’s already told the story of, which ends with him being put in line by his father.
“I remember going out one night, and the next day I had training. They had to come and get me. I arrived at training and I was completely out of control. I thought I was in control, but it was slipping away,” Cucurella said.
Cucurella’s father then told a young Marc “to decide if I wanted to go out partying or dedicate myself to football”.
“That’s when I understood I was close to achieving something important or throwing it all away,” Cucurella confessed.
After being blocked by Jordi Alba to first team football under Ernesto Valverde, Cucurella went to Eibar and Getafe as said.
“In Spain I was stagnating. They played me as an inside forward or a winger and I felt like I wasn’t reaching my full potential. My agents told me that as a full-back I could go much further and they were right,” Cucurella accepted.
Cucurella’s potential Barcelona return depends on other operations
Though he has already dislodged fellow La Masia product Alejandro Balde in the Spain national team, Cucurella’s possible Spotify Camp Nou sequel depends on other operations.
This is namely the sale of Jules Kounde, who has Premier League interest, and possibly Balde too after he was replaced in the first XI by Joao Cancelo.
While Barcelona has reportedly received the green light from Al-Hilal to sign loanee Cancelo permanently, it beleives Cucurella can be obtained for $46.4 million (€40 million).