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Manchester City are reportedly interested in signing Brighton & Hove Albion defender Marc Cucurella this summer. The Spaniard has caught the attention of many Premier League clubs, thanks to his impressive performances for the Seagulls last season.
According to El Nacional, City manager Pep Guardiola has made signing the left-back one of their top priorities this summer. Borussia Dortmund, Arsenal, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur are also interested in the 23-year-old, but City are seemingly the frontrunners for his services. The Premier League champions have offered €35 million for the former Barcelona defender, and Cucurella is also eager to join the club.
Cucurella rose through the youth ranks at Barcelona before making his first-team debut in the 2017-18 season. After spending the next two seasons on loan at Eibar and Getafe, he returned to the Camp Nou.
According to the aforementioned report, former Barcelona star Lionel Messi, who was influential in helping build the squad, did not believe Cucurella was good enough to play in the first team. So, the 23-year-old joined Getafe in 2020.
He moved to Brighton & Hove Albion last summer and was one of the Seagulls’ standout players last season. He made 34 appearances in the Premier League, scoring one goal and assisting another. His impressive performances helped the club finish ninth in the league, their highest ever finish. Cucurella won the 'Brighton Player of the Season' and 'Brighton Players' Player of the Season' awards.
City, meanwhile, are in the market for a top-quality left-back. Portuguese right-back Joao Cancelo was deployed as a makeshift left-back on several occasions last season.
Despite the former Juventus star's impressive performances, City are looking to sign a natural left-back this summer. Furthermore, Guardiola could see the departure of Oleksandr Zinchenko, who has been heavily linked with a move to Arsenal, as per Football.London.
Marc Cucurella looks set to be Manchester City's next signing this summer
Despite winning the Premier League last season, Manchester City have wasted no time in bolstering their squad this summer. Pep Guardiola's side have lacked an out-and-out No.9 since Sergio Aguero's departure last summer. They have addressed that by signing Erling Haaland from Borussia Dortmund and Julian Alvarez from River Plate.
As per The Athletic, Manchester City have reached an agreement with Leeds United over a transfer for defensive midfielder Kalvin Phillips. The England international is seen as the ideal replacement for Brazilian midfielder Fernandinho, who is set to leave at the end of the month.
The club now look set to improve their defence by signing former Barcelona left-back Cucurella. The Spaniard's technical ability, passing and attacking play make him the ideal transfer target for Guardiola.
