Reports: Manchester City consider signing Marc Cucurella from Brighton | OneFootball

Manchester City have been linked by multiple publications with a move for Brighton left-back Marc Cucurella ahead of the summer transfer window, with the suggestions being that the Blues would like to add depth to the full-back positions and tackle a long-standing issue of not having a consistent natural left-back in the squad.

News first emerged in an exclusive report by Dominic King in the Daily Mail on Tuesday night, in which it was stated that the City have targeted Cucurella to fill the natural left-back void, with a £30million move to be made in the summer.

King reports that the current Premier League champions would need to double the £15.4million paid by Brighton to acquire the player from La Liga side Getafe in the summer of 2021, with Pep Guardiola said to want an orthodox left-back to provide balance to his team.

Jason Burt of The Telegraph would follow these claims with a piece of his own this morning, with a more cautious tone, reporting that City are closely monitoring the defender but that it remains to be seen whether the club will make a push for him.

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Burt claims that Graham Potter's side accept that the one-cap Spain international will leave the club sooner rather than later but hope to keep the player for at least one more season. The Telegraph also suggest an asking price of around £30million for the full-back, who has reportedly ‘hugely impressed’ fellow Catalan Guardiola.

of the Guardian would follow in reporting that Cucurella has emerged as a key target for the Blues, with the 23-year-old's performances said to have caught the attention of Guardiola.

Steinberg reports that an offer of £35million could land the player.

Joao Cancelo and Oleksandr Zinchenko have been deployed at left-back throughout the season, with the latter enjoying another eye-catching campaign off the back of a PFA Team of the Year selection last term.

Zinchenko, meanwhile, struggled with injury at the beginning of the season and has been unable to displace Cancelo since, owing to the Portuguese's form as well as perhaps personal issues for the Ukrainian since February.

Although Cancelo has enjoyed fine form in the position and Zinchenko generally has performed well whenever called upon over the years, neither can be considered an orthodox left-back, with the latter a right-footer and the former not possessing the athletic qualities of a stereotypical left-back, who can maraud up and down the pitch.

Cucurella seemingly fits the bill, having created the third most chances from open play by full-backs in the league this season – behind only Liverpool duo Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson – as well as having the third most tackles made by full-backs in the league, behind Tyrick Mitchell and Stuart Dallas. Cucurella also has the most ball recoveries made by full-backs in the league, ahead of Alexander-Arnold and Mitchell.

Whether City push on with their supposed interest in the player remains to be seen, but a price of around £30million does seem appealing for a player performing at a level amongst the league's best full-backs, and he would help solve the issue of depth, which we have seen highlighted by Kyle Walker's absence.

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