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Chelsea, along with Fabrizio Romano, have seemingly taken aim at Brighton & Hove Albion after reaching an agreement to sign Marc Cucurella from the Seagulls.
Chelsea have officially announced their fifth signing of the summer transfer window. They have acquired the services of Cucurella from Premier League rivals Brighton for a deal worth £62 million.
The Blues' statement has put an end to a brief transfer saga involving the Spain international. The player was the subject of serious interest from Pep Guardiola's Manchester City before the London giants stepped in.
Manchester City walked away from the deal after having a £40 million bid rejected by Brighton. This allowed Chelsea to take a free hit at signing the former Barcelona left-back.
Romano then revealed on Wednesday that Thomas Tuchel's side have struck a deal with Brighton to sign Cucurella. The Seagulls, though, quickly took to social media to rubbish those claims.
In a club statement on Twitter, they said:
"Contrary to inaccurate reports from numerous media outlets this evening, no agreement has been reached with any club to sell Marc Cucurella."
However, Romano stuck to his guns and maintained that Cucurella was on his way to Stamford Bridge. The transfer guru has now been proven right, with Chelsea confirming the transfer today (August 5).
The Blues have also taken the opportunity to take a jibe at Brighton by releasing a statement similar to the one the Seagulls put out on Wednesday. Announcing Cucurella's signing, they wrote on Twitter:
"Following reports from numerous media outlets this week, we can confirm an agreement has been reached with Brighton and Hove Albion for the signing of Marc Cucurella."
Romano, who was the subject of criticism and mockery following Brighton's statement, has also got in on the act. Under Chelsea's post, he wrote, along with a smiling face with open hands emoji:
"Here we go."
Chelsea's Levi Colwill joins Brighton on loan
It was widely reported that the Blues could offer Levi Colwill in a swap deal for Cucurella. However, there were also suggestions that the teenager's transfer will be independent of the deal for the left-back.
Regardless, the central defender has now completed his transfer to Brighton. The Seagulls have acquired the 19-year-old's services from the Blues on loan until the end of the 2022-23 season.
Colwill spent last season on loan at Championship club Huddersfield Town. He made 32 appearances across all competitions for the Terriers, contributing to three goals in the process.
