Chelsea Fires Back at Al Nassr's Pursuit of Marc Cucurella

Chelsea are expected to make moves to ensure Marc Cucurella remains at the club for the long haul following rumors linking him with a potential transfer to Saudi Pro League outfit Al Nassr.

Cucurella logged more playing time than any other Chelsea player during the previous campaign, helping the Blues earn Champions League qualification while capturing both the UEFA Conference League and FIFA Club World Cup titles. This represents a dramatic turnaround from his initial period at Stamford Bridge, when the pressure following his £63 million ($84 million) transfer from Brighton & Hove Albion seemed overwhelming.

Per Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea plan to present Cucurella with a fresh contract, viewing the left-back as a "key part of the long term project" in west London.

Chelsea have not held any discussions with Al Nassr, whose reported interest in the player remains "not confirmed", though this would be irrelevant if the Blues are determined to secure Cucurella's services regardless.

Dutch youngster Jorrel Hato is close to completing a move to Chelsea from Ajax and will serve as both Cucurella's understudy and a central defensive option.

Following Cucurella's match-winning strike in a Premier League encounter against Leicester City in March, Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca offered glowing comments. "Marc possesses something that is hard to come by," the Italian enthused.

"He is astute and sharp-minded. He found the net twice against Wolves and Brentford despite being arguably the shortest player in the squad. This demonstrates his intelligence as he positions himself perfectly. He operates like an attacking midfielder and performs brilliantly. He has netted four or five times for us."

Chelsea have successfully moved João Félix to Al Nassr this week, concluding his unsuccessful second stint at the club while avoiding financial losses and potentially generating a profit.