-Ikenna Okafor
Chelsea will have to fork out £45million during the summer transfer window to secure the services of Brighton defender Marc Cucurella, according to reports.
The 23-year-old has established himself as hot property heading to the summer window after completing a successful debut campaign in the Premier League.
Cucurella – who has been capped once by Spain – has picked up interest from Premier League giants Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham.
Brighton paid Getafe £15.4m for Cucurella’s services but according to The Sun, Chelsea would need to pay more than double that figure to sign him this summer.
Chelsea would also have to fight off interest from Premier League rivals Manchester City and Tottenham to land the player who spent six years at Barcelona’s academy.
The Spanish left-back has risen to stardom after a standout first season in England following his transfer from LaLiga.
Cucurella joined Brighton last summer from Getafe and has made 35 league appearances, scoring once and providing one assist.
Cucurella has also established himself as a defensive fortress given the fact no other full-back in the Premier League has won possession more than his 241 times.
He has also kept eight clean sheets and successfully won 67 per cent of his tackles during the 2021-2022 campaign.
Chelsea sets aside £85m for Cucurella