[Albion] Marc Cucurella *Signed For Chelsea 05/08/2022*

[Simster]

And how often to do you criticise the club when they sell a player before his contract is up? You can't have it both ways. You really see putting in a transfer request as downing tools?

I agree with you. Putting in a transfer request is perfectly fine by me. It just signals a desire to move on, usually when a bigger club comes calling. Loads of players have done exactly that and NOT downed tools. Dale Stephens a recent example of this.

Cucurella will not invite boos from me. Not a club legend of course, but a fantastic player who then made a fortune for the club.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

It's certainly going to make MOTD a lot more watchable this season, seeing how all our former players perform for their new or newish clubs

 

[The Fits]

I’ve a feeling a lot of this isn’t so much about the Colwill deal (which seems fairly done) but more about us getting in a LWB as well. Wouldn’t be surprised if a total curveball appears today.

 

[trueblue]

The Colwill thing could be many things… he might not want to join us? Could be price? Could be buy back clause? It’s all conjecture really.

It’s clearly being labelled as a ‘separate deal’ for financial reasons, but clearly the deal is still linked to the Cucurella transfer and so the club are correct if that is the reason they are stalling, we need all parties happy, not just cucurella and his cronies.

My guess (just a guess) is that it's a separate deal because they don't want to make Cucurella's departure entirely dependent on Colwill coming the other way.

 

[Jim in the West]

And how often to do you criticise the club when they sell a player before his contract is up? You can't have it both ways. You really see putting in a transfer request as downing tools?

I'm not trying to have it both ways! I was simply responding to your point which compared Bissouma unfavourably to Cucurella, despite the fact that Bissouma honoured his contract. Anyway, I wish both of them all the best for the future. Cucurella seems a genuinely nice guy. However, I still think putting in a transfer request a week before the start of the season is not great. And - if other comments are true - he's not training at the moment. "Downing tools" may not be the best expression, but it looks like the club have taken a dim view. Plus - regarding clubs selling players before the end of their contracts - Bosman means clubs pretty much HAVE to do that (and we'd all be up in arms if BHA didn't do that). However, a club can't sell a player against his wishes.

 

[Coldeanseagull]

I agree with you. Putting in a transfer request is perfectly fine by me. It just signals a desire to move on, usually when a bigger club comes calling. Loads of players have done exactly that and NOT downed tools. Dale Stephens a recent example of this.

Cucurella will not invite boos from me. Not a club legend of course, but a fantastic player who then made a fortune for the club.

Have I read this correctly? A bigger club comes calling? Burnley?

 

[RandyWanger]

I think our man Cucurella needs a new agent after this.

 

[Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo]

Have I read this correctly? A bigger club comes calling? Burnley?

Burnley were in the Premier League at the time of the bid, we weren’t. Maybe not a bigger club but it was a chance to play in the top flight so you can understand why the player wanted it, even if it was Burnley.

 

[nwgull]

Have I read this correctly? A bigger club comes calling? Burnley?

At the time we were Championship, Burnley were PL and, even on their modest wage structure, Burnley were probably able to offer 2-3x the wage offer we had on the table. They were bigger at that particulary moment!

 

[Coldeanseagull]

Burnley were in the Premier League at the time of the bid, we weren’t. Maybe not a bigger club but it was a chance to play in the top flight so you can understand why the player wanted it, even if it was Burnley.

Yeah, I'd forgotten we were once championship....seems so long ago!

 

[trueblue]

the biggest problem ive found with the way city fans viewed this from the start is they came at it from the viewpoint that the player was "up for sale" and we were under pressure to get it done. starting to see the same with Chelsea now

Totally this. Very patronising. There seems to be a view - even extending to some journalists - that Brighton have been unreasonable when, in fact, the club is entitled to ask for whatever amount it wants. The original message of £50m+ was surely a 'hands-off' message as much as anything. City fans certainly can't seem to get their heads around the idea that Albion are perfectly happy to keep the player and not cash in. Very sore that we don't seem to understand our role in the hierarchy is to develop players for the super-rich and suck it up.

 

[Simster]

Have I read this correctly? A bigger club comes calling? Burnley?

If you're going to split hairs, Burnley were a Premier League club and we weren't.

 

[Napper]

for all the comments slagging off " city fans " and "chelsea fans "

Worth noting its a small percentage posting on social media and a forum.

Bit like judging our fan base based on the same.

No ones online fans are rational or decent.

Most chelsea ive spoken to pretty level headed about it

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

for all the comments slagging off " city fans " and "chelsea fans "

Worth noting its a small percentage posting on social media and a forum.

Bit like judging our fan base based on the same.

No ones online fans are rational or decent.

Most chelsea ive spoken to pretty level headed about it

That’s true and I have acknowledged that a few times. City fans on Blue Moon are just barking mad though and it is a very enjoyable read. The latest nonsense they are spouting is about briefings to the press and unprofessional behaviour by BHA. I even saw one suggesting our directors have been laughing at them in the board room. I think perhaps the joke by [MENTION=616]Guinness Boy[/MENTION] earlier in the thread was taken as fact ! The reality is that none of this happened. We named a price that would signal the beginning of negotiations and Man City didn’t bid it. That’s it really and we will either sell him to a different club or keep him.

 

[Swansman]

I'm not trying to have it both ways! I was simply responding to your point which compared Bissouma unfavourably to Cucurella, despite the fact that Bissouma honoured his contract. Anyway, I wish both of them all the best for the future. Cucurella seems a genuinely nice guy. However, I still think putting in a transfer request a week before the start of the season is not great. And - if other comments are true - he's not training at the moment. "Downing tools" may not be the best expression, but it looks like the club have taken a dim view. Plus - regarding clubs selling players before the end of their contracts - Bosman means clubs pretty much HAVE to do that (and we'd all be up in arms if BHA didn't do that). However, a club can't sell a player against his wishes.

Don't think he refuses to train. More likely the club not putting him anywhere near a training pitch or other place he might injured as long as very big deal is close to happening.

 

[Psychobilly freakout]

Don't think he refuses to train. More likely the club not putting him anywhere near a training pitch or other place he might injured as long as very big deal is close to happening.

Do you think perhaps Dunk & Duffy might be a tad over the top in challenges during training

 

[Iggle Piggle]

That’s true and I have acknowledged that a few times. City fans on Blue Moon are just barking mad though and it is a very enjoyable read. The latest nonsense they are spouting is about briefings to the press and unprofessional behaviour by BHA. I even saw one suggesting our directors have been laughing at them in the board room. I think perhaps the joke by [MENTION=616]Guinness Boy[/MENTION] earlier in the thread was taken as fact ! The reality is that none of this happened. We named a price that would signal the beginning of negotiations and Man City didn’t bid it. That’s it really and we will either sell him to a different club or keep him.

There was an article in the Athletic where Naylor said that TB and PB laughed (phraseology may have been slightly different but that was the jist) at the derisory first offer from Man City so to a certain extent is true. I think the Man City directors would do worse than watch Austin Powers and the "1 Million pound" ransom scene as this is effectively what they are doing. Last year they thought they could bully Spurs into selling Kane which went exactly the same way.

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

[tweet]1555103638934228992[/tweet]

It's also a bit selective from Naylor as well, to be fair. "Brighton don't stand in the way of any member of staff bettering themselves, provided the price and timing is right for the club". Or, to put another way, Brighton do stand in the way of members of staff bettering themselves if the price or timing isn't right"

 

[Easy 10]

Barcelona have just signed Kounde from Sevilla for €55m on a 5 year deal, and have put a €1 BILLION (£840m) release clause in his contract. A billion euros.

After this whole tedious saga, I wonder if Tony will consider putting a hefty release clause in on promising new signings, to keep the timewasters and tyre-kickers like City away.

 

[Weststander]

Cucurella would be the most-expensive outfield Spanish player of all-time...

From Marca...

Most expensive Spanish players of all time (prices in Euros)
Kepa Arrizabalaga18/19 Chelsea FC 80
Marc Cucurella 22/23 Chelsea FC 68 - ??
Alvaro Morata 17/18 Chelsea FC 66
Aymeric Laporte 17/18 Manchester City 65
Rodrigo 19/20 Manchester City 62.7
Fernando Torres 2010/11 Chelsea FC 58.5
Ferran Torres 21/22 FC Barcelona 55
Diego Costa 17/18 Atletico Madrid 50
Gaizka Mendieta 2001/02 SS Lazio 48
Juan Mata 13/14 Manchester United 44.73

Morata was signed by Chelsea for £60m (rising to £70m) / €68m
Morata was signed by Atletico Madrid for £58m / €65m

Cucurella at £52.5m = €63m