Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella has expressed interest in a potential return to Barcelona, admitting that turning down an offer from the reigning Spanish champions would be tough.
The 27-year-old defender began his career at Barça’s academy before making a single first-team appearance. He later played for Eibar, Getafe, Brighton, and eventually Chelsea.
According to ESPN, Barcelona is looking to enhance their full-back positions this summer. Cucurella, who plays for the Spanish national team, indicated he could be tempted back to Spotify Camp Nou.
“It would be difficult to reject [Barça],” he remarked during a press conference prior to Spain’s friendly against Egypt on Tuesday at Espanyol’s RCDE Stadium in Barcelona. He added, “I would also have to consider my family. If an offer arises, we will need to see what decision to make.”
Cucurella joined Chelsea in 2022 from Brighton and has a contract that runs until 2028. However, in a separate interview with The Athletic, he indicated that the club’s focus on acquiring young talent may not align with his own aspirations.
He claimed that the team’s defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League round of 16 made it clear that Chelsea is not currently competing among the elite in Europe.
“Results like that are tough to accept,” Cucurella expressed. “You work hard every day, only to find out at crucial moments that we remain a bit distant from the top level.”
“I understand this is part of the club’s strategy to focus on younger players and the future, but for those of us who want to win significant trophies, moments like these can be disheartening,” he continued.
“We have a solid base of players and the infrastructure’s in place, but to compete for major titles like the Premier League or the Champions League, we require more.”
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Cucurella Expresses Displeasure Over Chelsea’s Decision to Dismiss Maresca
Cucurella also shared that while he finds new coach Liam Rosenior to be a “great person” who has managed the team well, he disagreed with the club’s decision to let go of Enzo Maresca earlier this season.
“The moment Maresca was let go, it had a significant impact on us,” Cucurella noted. “These are decisions made by the club, but if it were up to me, I would have chosen differently.”
“Changes like this are best made after the season ends, allowing everyone — players and the new manager — the time to prepare and establish a full pre-season.”
“The instability within the club stems from this situation. We first had a caretaker coach, then a new manager with fresh ideas and limited time to implement them. It is what it is.”