Man Utd line up stunning raid on Chelsea to fix worrying problem position for Ten Hag

Rob McCarthy 27 Aug 2023 10:05 AM

Chelsea's Marc Cucurella is wanted by Man Utd

Manchester United are reportedly lining up a shock raid on Chelsea to help fix a problem position for Red Devils boss Erik ten Hag.

The Dutchman is said to be desperate to bring in another left-back before Friday’s September 1 transfer deadline after injuries to both Tyrell Malacia and Luke Shaw.

The former missed pre-season with a setback carried over from the previous campaign, while Shaw has been sidelined for several months with a muscle problem.

That has led Ten Hag to look at a short-term fix, with transfer insider Fabrizio Romano claiming that United are looking to sign Chelsea’s Marc Cucurella on loan.

Fabrizio states that the Old Trafford side are ringing around clubs trying to find out what players are available and have narrowed their search down to a three-man shortlist.

One of those three is Cucurella, who only moved to Stamford Bridge last summer from Premier League rivals Brighton.

The Blues paid £65million for the 25-year-old Spaniard following his impressive debut season in England.

However, Cucurella failed to earn a regular starting spot under Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter and Frank Lampard in west London.

Cucurella behind rivals for Chelsea game time

Add in the fact that Dutch youngster Ian Maatsen has also forced his way into Mauricio Pochettino’s plans and Cucurella’s chances of game time look very slim indeed.

Newcastle have also been linked with a move, but they ended up signing Chelsea youngster Lewis Hall instead.

Cucurella played 33 times last season, mainly as the left-sided centre-back in a three-man Blues defence.

Manchester City also came close to signing Cucurella before the Blues pounced with their mega offer. However, it now appears that he is likely to be on the move again, although whether Chelsea are willing to offload the player to a top-four rival remains to be seen.

United are back in action on Sunday when they take on Arsenal in the Premier League, while Chelsea host AFC Wimbledon in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday.

Manchester United Marc Cucurella