According to rumours, Marc Cucurella has been barred from exercising with the Brighton first team ahead of his probable move to Chelsea.
On Wednesday evening, it was widely rumored that Chelsea had beaten Manchester City to the acquisition of the defender, negotiating a £50 million agreement with Brighton.
However, the Seagulls issued a statement in response, saying that despite the Spaniard signing personal terms with the Blues, they have not yet committed to transfer Cucurella.
Cucurella will no longer practice with the Brighton club, according to The Athletic, since manager Graham Potter regards the situation as a distraction ahead of their Premier League opening against Manchester United.
The claimed cost is understood to be less than Brighton’s asking price, and while it was previously thought that Levi Colwill was being used as a negotiating chip in the Cucurella move, recent evidence indicates that they are different transactions.
Colwill, 19, of Chelsea, spent last season on loan at Huddersfield Town in the Championship and is desired by Brighton this summer.
Cucurella, however, had a fantastic debut season at Brighton last season after joining from Getafe for £15 million, guiding the Seagulls to their best-ever Premier League finish of ninth.
City increased their interest in the 24-year-old earlier this summer, with Pep Guardiola’s team in need of a new left-back following the departure of Oleksandr Zinchenko to Arsenal.
However, they were hesitant to spend more than £40 million for the player, allowing Chelsea to rush in and steal the deal.
Meanwhile, according to sources, Chelsea owner Todd Boehly has warned Cesar Azpilicueta that he cannot leave the club despite considerable interest from Barcelona.
Chelsea have already lost Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen to Real Madrid and Barcelona this summer, and while they have acquired Kalidou Koulibaly on a permanent basis, they want further defensive reinforcements before allowing Azpilicueta and Alonso to depart.
