Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly disclosed that he signed Marc Cucurella in the summer of 2022 primarily because Manchester City had expressed interest in the Spanish left-back first.
The American entrepreneur, who spearheaded the Boehly/Clearlake Capital takeover of Chelsea a few months prior, temporarily stepped in as sporting director during a period of club reorganization, despite lacking previous experience in that role.
Among the notable high-profile transfers completed that summer was the acquisition of Cucurella from Brighton for £63 million ($84.4m), who had been a target for Manchester City.
“Identifying the right elements for the first time can be challenging,” Boehly remarked at an IConnections event.
“So naturally, mistakes will be made, especially given the circumstances under which we took over—essentially, the entire management team departed. I found myself as the interim sporting director with no clear understanding of what constitutes a quality football player.
“However, I thought, if Marc Cucurella is good enough for Man City, then he’s good enough for us. It was a straightforward decision.”
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Cucurella, now 27, had initially been a target for City and had even submitted a transfer request, but negotiations between the two clubs did not reach a resolution.
While City was reportedly reluctant to meet Brighton’s asking price, Chelsea went ahead and sealed the deal.
As a Euro 2024 winner with Spain, Cucurella has made over 140 appearances for Chelsea and remains under contract at Stamford Bridge until June 2028.