Chelsea's Marc Cucurella Eyes the Exit Door: Four Top Clubs Ready to Snap Him Up—Ranked

Marc Cucurella is reportedly "open" to leaving the turbulence at Chelsea this summer and has at least four clubs vying for his signature.

The left back has previously voiced his frustration with certain decisions made by the club's ownership, so it comes as little surprise that his future at Stamford Bridge looks uncertain. Missing out on European football will have only weakened Chelsea's ability to retain their first-choice left back.

There is no shortage of interested parties for Cucurella to weigh up, according to The Athletic. La Liga's big three of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atlético Madrid have all been linked with the defender, who could also potentially move to Chelsea's domestic rivals Manchester City. The Blues are said to be willing to accommodate their unsettled fullback's exit, provided their own financial conditions are satisfied.

Based on the strength of the interest, the appeal of each club and how well Cucurella might fit into his potential new environment, certain suitors stand out more than others.

4. Man City

The connection between Cucurella and Manchester City is no great secret. It remains to be seen exactly when Enzo Maresca will be confirmed as Pep Guardiola's replacement, but there is little doubt the Italian will take charge—his several meetings with City officials were, after all, a key factor behind his abrupt departure from Chelsea at the start of the year.

Cucurella was among a number of players blindsided by his manager's exit and made his feelings known in a notably candid interview in April. "The moment Maresca left, it had a big impact on us," the left back said. "These are decisions taken by the club. If you asked me, I would not have made this decision."

Whether Chelsea's leadership will sanction the sale of one of the division's finest left backs to a direct competitor will be fascinating to observe.

City invested around $43 million in Rayan Aït-Nouri for that role just last summer, only for academy graduate Nico O'Reilly to emerge and push the expensive signing to the bench. Maresca may envision O'Reilly's long-term future in midfield—his natural home—but it would be surprising to see City spend even further on Cucurella, leaving Aït-Nouri permanently sidelined.

3. Barcelona

Barcelona represents the sentimental choice for Cucurella. The Catalan fullback spent seven years in Barça's academy system, steadily progressing through the youth ranks before earning his senior debut in 2017. It lasted just seven minutes and turned out to be his only appearance for the club.

As recently as March, Cucurella acknowledged that "it would be difficult to turn down" an approach from his childhood club. "And not just for me," he told reporters while on international duty with Spain. "I would have to think about my family as well. If [an offer] comes, it comes, and we will have to see what decision we would make."

Financing such a move could also prove challenging for Barcelona. While funds appear readily available for attacking reinforcements, money may be tighter for a position that is already reasonably well covered.

Should the likes of Alejandro Balde or Gerard Martín depart—or a permanent deal for João Cancelo fail to materialise—then this dream scenario could yet become reality.

2. Real Madrid

Whether Cucurella would consider crossing the Clásico divide remains to be seen, but Real Madrid have a far greater need for him than Barcelona.

Ferland Mendy is expected to miss the whole of next season with a tendon injury, Fran García was largely absent throughout 2025–26 due to poor form, and Álvaro Carreras perhaps wished he too had been unavailable for the second half of the campaign.

Last summer's arrival faded sharply after a promising start to life back in the Spanish capital. Tensions escalated to the point where he was reportedly struck by teammate Antonio Rüdiger.

There are several areas of the squad that Real Madrid must address this summer, and left back is unquestionably one of them: Cucurella would be among the most compelling solutions to this persistent problem.

1. Atletico Madrid

Cucurella's former Eibar manager José Luis Mendilibar once remarked that his favourite left back "doesn't register" on "all those things we measure with all those machines we have.

"But he's a soccer player."

Cucurella's hard-to-quantify qualities—most notably his relentless tenacity—are precisely the traits Atlético Madrid's Diego Simeone values above any conventional metrics. One figure the Argentine coach will not overlook is the rapidly shrinking number of genuine left backs at his disposal: heading into the 2026–27 season, that total stands at just one.

Matteo Ruggeri could benefit from some healthy competition, and Atlético are financially positioned to move first without needing to sell. It is little wonder that The Athletic describe Simeone's side as "leading the chase" for Cucurella.