Manchester City and Brighton are at odds over Marc Cucurella's asking price.
If Manchester City and Brighton are unable to reach an agreement on a price for Marc Cucurella, it is said that Manchester City is willing to start the new season without a reliable left-back. Pep Guardiola is rumored to be most interested in signing the Spaniard after the Sky Blues approved the sale of Oleksandr Zinchenko to Arsenal.
Guardiola was unable to offer every member of the squad regular game time, thus City allowed a number of players leave the organization this summer. Erling Haaland and Julian Alvarez's arrivals cover the departures of Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus, but Zinchenko's departure creates a new issue.
The Ukrainian played 28 games in all competitions last season, mostly at left-back, but he is about to complete a £32 million transfer to Arsenal. City are apparently eager to replace him with Cucurella after the Spaniard performed admirably in his first season with Brighton.
According to ESPN, the two clubs' asking prices are £20 million difference, with the Seagulls demanding a staggering £50 million. Guardiola will reportedly start the upcoming season with Joao Cancelo, Aymeric Laporte, and Nathan Ake as his left-back options if City is unable to persuade them to relax their expectations.
Marc Cucurella's value is regarded to differ significantly between Man City and Brighton. (Photo)
None of the three would consider playing on the left side of defense their preferred position, despite the fact that they are all capable of doing so. Cancelo rose through the ranks with Benfica, Valencia, and Juventus on the right but thrived as a right-footed left-back in the previous season.
Although Cancelo has a lot to give, his two backup choices, Ake and Laporte, are both natural center-backs. Both have occasionally stepped in for the Sky Blues' full-backs, and while they are competent enough near to their own goal, City lose out in terms of offensive potential.
Cucurella, who frequently played on the wing for Getafe but smoothly adapted to Graham Potter's back line on the south coast, is regarded by many as the ideal middle-ground player. Although it appears that City is fully committed to signing the 23-year-old, they are reportedly ready to back out if the asking price does not appear to be in line with their own estimation.
Similar commercial practices have been used by the club in the past, leading to the cancellation of deals for Alexis Sanchez, Harry Maguire, and Fred when the associated costs got too high. It will be interesting to observe if their strategy for handling the circumstance backfires.
Guardiola is currently juggling transfer news with a preseason tour of the United States, where he has lamented the absence of five first-team players.
According to reports, Pep Guardiola is ready to start the upcoming campaign without an established left-back. (Photo)
The former Barcelona manager said, "Yes, it's frustrating; I would prefer them to be here. "That was the only season we were all together since our second season [2017/18], when we finished with 100 points. Since then, four players have always arrived, followed by another one a week later. We had enormous issues to begin the season. Every year, we lose ground.
"I had hoped that we would all be together this season, but that was not the case owing to the personal circumstances of the players. However, it is what it is, and in order to move forward, we must adapt.The preseason may last three, four, or five weeks, but it is now finished. However, they are in good shape, working with the Under-23s, and when they rejoin us, everything will be OK.
At the end of the month, when they play Liverpool in the Community Shield, City will resume competitive play.
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