The futures of Marc Cucurella and Enzo Fernandez remain up in the air this summer with the Chelsea duo informing the club they wish to leave Stamford Bridge
Chelsea duo Marc Cucurella and Enzo Fernandez are hot properties in the Spanish transfer market this summer.
After a chaotic March international break, where both Blues stars openly flirted with switches away, a drama-filled summer transfer window was always inevitable. Over the last couple of weeks, football.london has learned that Cucurella and Fernandez have both informed Chelsea of their intentions to leave in the coming months.
Real Madrid have expressed an interest in Fernandez, with new manager Jose Mourinho supposedly keen on the Blues midfielder. Meanwhile, La Liga rivals Atletico Madrid and Barcelona are both exploring whether or not to make an official move for Cucurella, who is keen on returning to Spain.
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With all of this being said, football.london‘s Chelsea writers Bobby Vincent and Jake Stokes discuss and debate what they would do if they were in the club’s position this summer and whether or not they would cash in on the duo.
Bobby Vincent
If you asked me one month ago, I was very much in the camp of ‘keep Fernandez at all costs’. What he adds to the Chelsea side is crucial; not only is he a leader on the pitch but his goal scoring abilities are also unmatched from midfield.
However, following confirmation that the 25-year-old wishes to depart this summer, it may be best for Chelsea to cash in. If they can get £120million – the price the club are demanding for the Argentina international’s services – then it represents a good profit on the £107m they paid three-and-a-half years ago (in line with inflation, also).
If Real Madrid cough up the £120m, then sell, because having an unhappy player might have a negative impact on Xabi Alonso’s squad in the Spaniard’s debut season at Stamford Bridge. Let’s hope we don’t see Fernandez kick up a fuss if – in the worst case scenario – no club wants to pay such an enormous fee. Either way, Chelsea should not budge on their valuation of the Argentine.
As for Cucurella, the club should look to sell the Spain international. Jorrel Hato’s form in 2026, as well as his sky-high potential, has eased Chelsea’s position on the left-back.
Cucurella, like Fernandez, criticised the club in March and that did not go down too well internally. If he wishes to go back to Spain, like sources suggest, then Chelsea should grant him his wish – but only, like the Fernandez situation, if the club receive the right offer for his services.
As well as this, Chelsea need to make a decision on Cucurella this summer. Either sell him or risk the left-back entering the final two years of his Stamford Bridge contract.
Jake Stokes
Chelsea should allow Fernandez and Cucurella to leave. Unfortunately, the Blues are in no position to throw their weight around this summer and deny either of them, or any other player at Stamford Bridge, the chance to go and play for a club that will be participating in the Champions League next season.They have both made it clear that they want a change of scenery, and BlueCo only have themselves to blame. Had the Chelsea owners built a team around Fernandez and Cucurella that regularly qualified for Europe’s top-flight competition while also competing on all fronts for silverware, newsflash, they wouldn’t want to leave.But instead, they’ve failed to harness the expectations of a big club, bouncing up and down the Premier League table while burning through five different head coaches. Ironically, the first gaffer to actually lead the Blues in the right direction and win a couple of trophies stepped down.Of course, Enzo Maresca isn’t a saint, but he wouldn’t have done what he did if he felt confident that Chelsea were heading in the right direction. It goes without saying that the Blues are a much better team with Fernandez and Cucurella in the starting line-up, but Alonso shouldn’t be expected to fix a dressing room that he didn’t break.Under the Spaniard, BlueCo have the chance to start afresh. A clean slate. A fresh start. A blank canvas. And this time, albeit at the sixth attempt, supporters will expect the sporting leadership team to have finally learned from their mistakes.Chelsea can use the funds recovered from the sales of Fernandez and Cucurella to sign top players who are prepared to trust the process and ultimately want to be at the club. It would be great to see the duo stay, but I fear they’ve burned their bridges…
