Chelsea Set to Offload Cucurella Despite Alonso's Wishes as Maresca Circles

The Stamford Bridge exit door is already creaking for Marc Cucurella, it seems, with Chelsea determined to cash in on the Spanish defender over the coming months—much to the frustration of incoming manager Xabi Alonso.

The appointment of Alonso was confirmed over the weekend, with the former Real Madrid head coach putting pen to paper on a four-year contract to take charge from July 1. The Basque tactician, sacked by Los Blancos earlier this campaign, had been widely tipped for a Liverpool return should Arne Slot depart, but Chelsea moved swiftly to secure his services instead.

Upon his unveiling, Alonso struck an optimistic tone: "Chelsea is one of the biggest clubs in world football and it fills me with immense pride to become manager of this great club. From my conversations with the ownership group and sporting leadership, it is clear we share the same ambition. We want to build a team capable of competing consistently at the highest level and fighting for trophies. There is great talent in the squad and huge potential at this football club and it will be my great honour to lead it. Now the focus is on hard work, building the right culture and winning trophies."

Yet tensions are already simmering. Cucurella, who has been keen on a departure since January, looks destined for the exit, with reports suggesting the defender is "set on leaving." More intriguingly, Enzo Maresca—the ex-Chelsea boss poised to take over at Manchester City when Pep Guardiola steps aside—has apparently already begun wooing Cucurella ahead of a potential summer move.

The left-back has grown increasingly frustrated with Chelsea's transfer blueprint. Speaking to reporters in late March, Cucurella articulated his concerns: "I understand this is part of the club's policy… But, for all of us who are still here and want to win big things, moments like this make you feel discouraged… To fight for major trophies such as the Premier League or the Champions League, you need more. Signing young players only might complicate achieving those goals."

His grievances point to a deeper issue—the Blues' reliance on youth development at the expense of immediate experience. That philosophy may need tweaking if Alonso is to deliver silverware quickly. Journalist Matt Law has indicated that a ready-made midfielder is likely to arrive at the Bridge this summer, suggesting the club recognises the necessity of bolstering experience in key areas.

"You can't talk about needing 'ready made players' and 'experience' and then think that if Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo aren't going to play that you're going to entrust the first two months of your season to Andrey Santos," Law explained. "You would have to have a ready made midfielder coming in to at least play next to [Santos]. I think the midfield signing has to be one of the really ready made ones."

So while Alonso prepares to settle into his new role, he faces an immediate challenge: balancing the club's long-term vision with the short-term demands of mounting a title challenge.