Updated: 2 Jun 2026 15:44 BST |
5 min read
Wantaway Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella has suffered a blow to his hopes of joining Barcelona after fellow target Alejandro Grimaldo expressed a desire to return to Spain.
Cucurella is understood to be exploring a move away from Chelsea, according to The Athletic, with La Liga giants Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid among the list of potential destinations.
The same outlet claims all three clubs remain firm admirers of the 27-year-old, though it is Atletico who are the most likely to close a deal as Barcelona and Real would need to offload players in order to fund moves.
Cucurella has established himself as one of the Premier League’s best left-backs after joining Chelsea from Brighton and Hove Albion in 2022, making 163 appearances and winning the UEFA Conference League and FIFA Club World Cup double in 2025.
However, the Spain international has now learned that compatriot Grimaldo, who has just 12 months remaining on his contract with Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen, has offered himself to La Liga’s elite.
The 30-year-old, who has been included alongside Cucurella in Spain’s 26-man squad for the World Cup, has been strongly linked with Barcelona in particular, having started his career there before joining Benfica in 2016.
In quotes carried by German publication BILD Sport, Grimaldo said: “After so many years in professional football, I am used to the fact that there are always rumours in the course of my career.
“I’ve always said it: I want to go back to La Liga. That’s one of my goals. I’m very satisfied in Leverkusen, but I’ve always said that I want to go back to La Liga – and at some point I will.”
Grimaldo joined Leverkusen following the expiration of his Benfica contract in 2023 and had a huge hand in the German outfit winning the Bundesliga and German Cup double under Xabi Alonso, who has since taken over the reins at Cucurella’s Chelsea.
The Athletic understands Cucurella and Alonso have held discussions but the defender still wants to see what offers he can attract ahead of his participation in the World Cup.
Cucurella said Chelsea “paid the price” for sacking Maresca
In an interview with the same outlet in March, Cucurella was critical of Chelsea’s decision to sack Enzo Maresca in January and replace him with Liam Rosenior, who was dismissed after just 106 days in charge in April.
The Stamford Bridge club, who were overseen by interim boss Calum McFarlane for the final few weeks of last season, subsequently finished 10th in the Premier League and missed out on securing any form of European football for 2026-27.
“With Enzo Maresca in charge, we were more stable, because we worked together for 18 months,” he said. “If you look at our first pre-season with him (Chelsea won only once in six warm-up friendlies, losing three), there were doubts. You need a process for every player to understand what we need to do. In our last months with Maresca, we played almost by heart. If we changed the system, we knew what we had to do. You need that time.
“Look at Arsenal now, who are fighting for every trophy. They’ve been with (Mikel) Arteta for almost seven years and they have not won much. But that trust in the project gives rewards.
“We knew what Maresca wanted from us. Winning a title like the Club World Cup (beating PSG 3-0 in the final) also helps, strengthens the bond, and you create great relationships during the celebrations. When a manager gives you that confidence and offers you a platform to fight for titles, you’d die for him.
“The moment Maresca left, it had a big impact on us. These are decisions taken by the club. If you asked me, I would not have made this decision. To make a change like that, the best thing is to wait until the end of the season. You would give everyone, the players and the new manager, time to get ready, have a full pre-season…”
Cucurella and Grimaldo are hoping to help Spain win their second World Cup in North America this summer, with Luis de la Fuente’s side taking on minnows Cape Verde in their opening Group H match on Monday, 15 June.
The European champions will then lock horns with Saudi Arabia on Sunday, 21 June and Marcelo Bielsa’s Uruguay six days later in their final two group-stage fixtures.
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