Chelsea To Rival Manchester City For Key Premier League Target With Players Preference Revealed

Manchester City’s pursuit of a left-back has been plain to see for nearly three years now. As Benjamin Mendy’s career at the club dissolved for a variety of reasons, the club has been without a recognised left-back for some time.

A host of players have filled the role for Pep Guardiola’s side, most of whom are not natural left-backs. Fabian Delph, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Joao Cancelo, Aymeric Laporte and Nathan Aké have all spent time on the left defensive flank in recent years.

And while the team have been highly successful in that period, it has been clear for some time that in the near future that Manchester City would be keen on locking down the position for seasons ahead. 

This summer, however, the Etihad club appear to have narrowed their search down to one target, Brighton’s Marc Cucurella. The 23-year-old has burst onto the scene after a superb season for the Seagulls, and is said to be top of the transfer list for a variety of the big Premier League clubs. 

Brighton and Hove Albion's Marc Cucurella during the Premier League match at the AMEX Stadium, Brighton. (Alamy)

As reported by Pol Ballus of the Athletic, Chelsea will be Manchester City’s main rivals when it comes to securing a deal for the promising full-back. As per the report, the Premier League champions will begin formal discussions with the South Coast club within the coming days to discuss a possible deal for the Spaniard. 

However, if a deal is agreed by the two clubs, it could come down to the player to decide where his future lies - Manchester City or Chelsea. And according to Ballus’ report, the feeling within Marc Cucurella’s camp is that signing for the reigning Premier League winners would elevate him to the next level of football.

To compound that, being coached by fellow Catalan and former Barcelona star, Pep Guardiola could strike a chord with the player.

Luckily for the 23-year-old, Pep Guardiola and Manchester City Director of Football, Txiki Begiristain are keen to get a deal over the line on the back of his splendid season at Brighton. 

With some reports suggesting that the AMEX club may be looking to secure a £50 million fee for the full-back, City could be forced to send some youngsters the other way to sweeten the deal and reduce the price tag.

One thing is for certain however, recent transfer windows have shown that if the Etihad club is not happy with the deal on offer, they will walk away and shift their focus to other targets.