Report: Graham Potter urged Chelsea to sign 62M player while Tuchel was still manager
According to @MattLawDT (via Telegraph Football), rather than former manager Thomas Tuchel, incoming Chelsea manager Graham Potter was the impetus behind the Blues’ pursuit of outstanding Spanish left wing-back Marc Cucurella.
It has come to light that the American businessman and the former manager of Brighton had been communicating over Whatsapp for a number of weeks prior to the Englishman being named manager of Stamford Bridge. During one of these conversations, Potter requested that Boehly sign Cucurella.
Following the 1-0 defeat to Dinamo Zagreb, former Blues manager Thomas Tuchel was abruptly fired, and Chelsea moved immediately to approach the then-Brighton manager to hire him as the new manager at Stamford Bridge.
Todd Boehly appears to have betrayed Thomas Tuchel, the team’s coach at the time, as well as Graham Potter, who traded one of the greatest players from the team he managed. Cucurella is now available for Potter to use at Chelsea.
Marc Cucurella joined the Blues this transfer window on a big-money move and has almost immediately settled into the left wing-back role. The Spaniard has been impressive whenever he has played and this could be a glimpse of the things to come.
Potter used Cucurella extensively in their only season together with Brighton. The Spaniard was one of the best players for the Seagulls last season and there is no doubt that he is going to have a prominent role under Potter at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea do have Ben Chilwell as well with the English full-back considered one of the best young talented defenders in the Premier League. A long-term injury ruled him out for the majority of the campaign but the former Leicester man seems to be back to his best.
Potter has a dilemma on his hands as to who his preferred option to take up the left wing-back role will be. Cucurella could have the edge considering that the duo have worked together but it is very difficult to keep Ben Chilwell out of the team.
Regardless of this, the whole Cucurella saga and the betrayal seems almost unbelievable. If this indeed was the case, it does not paint a good picture on Boehly and thus, the Blues.