Thomas Tuchel confirmed Chelsea transfer for Marc Cucurella and compared the defender to club stalwart Cesar Azpilicueta.
The Blues have agreed a deal with Brighton worth over £60m for the defender, with the player signing a six-year contract at Stamford Bridge.
The transfer is a welcome boost for Tuchel’s side as they prepare to kick off their campaign this weekend with a tricky clash with Everton on Saturday.
Cucurella has attracted a lot of interest this summer, including admiring glances from Premier League champions Manchester City, but according to Tuchel a deal is close.
Speaking at his pre-match press conference ahead of the deal being finalized, he said: “Well, it’s not done yet.
“I don’t want to tell you that I don’t know but the paperwork is ongoing and I hope we can finish it before noon and Marc is our player.
“Marc is a fantastic player, a young player. Young player, hungry, mobile and very smart and can play in several positions in our system.
‘I hope when things go Marc is the option [at left wing-back] but I think he can play very well in the bottom three.
“So he looks a bit like Azpilicueta’s profile, but with a left foot, and he gives us a lot of options.”
Levi Colwill was part of the deal with a loan move to Brighton also completed which Tuchel believes could be beneficial for him.
He said: “It’s hard to judge him, he came back and then there wasn’t much playing time for him in pre-season to give him because of a small injury he picked up. in training.
“The situation is the situation, it’s always very individual. If there is a possibility for him to have a good loan or a situation where he can develop and improve, we are open to all discussions and to all solutions.
Given that Chelsea missed out on deals for Jules Kounde, Matthijs de Ligt, Nathan Ake and Presnel Kimpembe in defense this summer, fans have criticized the club’s transfer activities.
But, according to Tuchel, it is part and parcel of the challenges of life under new ownership.
Asked if the club is panicking, he replied: “’Panic? No, I would describe it as super hard work and learning on the job.
“The transfer market is one of the hardest things you can do when you come from outside, but I have nothing but compliments and the utmost respect for Todd.
“I don’t know when they sleep, I think they may never sleep. We have a very honest, open and direct line of communication and the transfers so far speak for themselves.
“We have a delay, of course. Nobody is guilty of this delay because of the sanctions, which resulted in the loss of key players. But the two owners who are involved in the day to day business are doing a fantastic job so far.
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