Marc Cucurella

[Nicholas van Whatsisface]

City will not pay £50 Million for Cucurella and Brighton will not budge on their valuation, this deal is not happening this summer folks.

We have 3 full backs and Ake can play LB so We may not even sign an alternative LB.

I’m not sure you’re right on this one mate.

The uncharacteristic quietness on this deal suggests to me negotiations are happening.

We all know how City operate in the market - no fuss, no drama. And from experience we all know the quietest point in any deal is the few days before we reach an agreement with the selling club.

Add to that two of our most reliable and connected posters on here have told us another bid went in on Monday, and that significant progress had been made this week.

Now you can choose not to believe them, fine - but what you can’t deny is how little noise and hyperbole is coming out from the Brighton end at the moment.

That gobshite journo of theirs is usually falling over himself every day to tell anyone whose listening it’s £50m, or the player stays. We’ve hardly heard a peep out of him this last couple of days.

And we’re getting nothing whatsoever on this from the City end.

Put all that together - tells me somethings happening.

 

[Rammy Blue]

50m is a crazy price but not for a position that has been a major weakness for the last 3 seasons plus.

I would imagine he would be given a 5 year deal, so if City are willing to pay 40m but Brighton want 50, a difference of 10m over the length of his contract is almost irrelevant.

If this is the player Pep wants pay the money and get the player in.

Or just make the add ons a bit of a joke if we need to make ourselves feel better about the fee. £40mil plus £10mil in easily achievable add ons.

 

[Keeper!]

Or just make the add ons a bit of a joke if we need to make ourselves feel better about the fee. £40mil plus £10mil in easily achievable add ons.

It does make me wonder if we have another deal in the pipeline, hence the reluctance to go all in.

 

[Hart of the Matter]

Not much left to say about this transfer anymore. Can we officially call it a “saga” yet?

It looks very much like a situation where, in the past, we have walked away.

Brighton making noises that their business model is to let players go at a certain price made me think it was just a matter of time but I’m not as confident now.

I feel sorry for Cucu but I wouldn’t be surprised if a name we hadn’t even been linked with before suddenly signed for us instead. Cucu is for sale no doubt but not at a price we seem willing to pay.

Look at the prices we signed our last 4 players really good deals and others wondering how City did it. This is our model now.

It‘s a big thing to City to be seen to be getting value for money and to take advantage of the fact that virtually every player wants to come here. It’s probably something we, as fans, underestimate.

Agree. I worried that the 'balls deep' signing of Grealish would upset the narrative that City had been building that we won't go beyond our own valuations. Kane, Harry Quagmire, Sanchez and many more were all walked away from despite the hollering of some fans 'to just pay the money'. City have played a long game and have now reached a tipping point. The long game indeed. I love it when a plan comes together...

 

[Pubteam Lomas]

Get the impression this is this summer's version of 'Kane' transfer. ie we want him, he wants us, but not at the money they want.

 

[kippaxwarrior]

City will not pay £50 Million for Cucurella and Brighton will not budge on their valuation, this deal is not happening this summer folks.

We have 3 full backs and Ake can play LB so We may not even sign an alternative LB.

Unless your part of City transfer committee then this is just pure speculation on your part

 

[Keeper!]

Agree. I worried that the 'balls deep' signing of Grealish would upset the narrative that City had been building that we won't go beyond our own valuations. Kane, Harry Quagmire, Sanchez and many more were all walked away from despite the hollering of some fans 'to just pay the money'. City have played a long game and have now reached a tipping point. The long game indeed. I love it when a plan comes together...

Maguire, Fred and Sanchez was a very different plan, a cunning, genius plan that Agent Ed fell for , hook, line and sinker.

 

[SilverFox2]

50m is a crazy price but not for a position that has been a major weakness for the last 3 seasons plus.

I would imagine he would be given a 5 year deal, so if City are willing to pay 40m but Brighton want 50, a difference of 10m over the length of his contract is almost irrelevant.

If this is the player Pep wants pay the money and get the player in.

I agree that supply and demand conditions may apply for this position and I am sure our side is trying to get an alternative to compete on quality and cost.
If not then the high price may have to be approached.

 

[samuelyeboah]

City will not pay £50 Million for Cucurella and Brighton will not budge on their valuation, this deal is not happening this summer folks.

We have 3 full backs and Ake can play LB so We may not even sign an alternative LB.

we don't have 3 fullbacks. we have 2 fullbacks and a bunch of kids. that's a really awful fullback situation in a position we were somewhat weak last season and have so far gotten weaker. we need 1 senior, high level fullbacks and if possible even 2.

 

[The slaughtered lamb]

Paying an extra £10m or £20m more than you think a player is worth is not irrelevant at all, when you factor in that you can add that to every other transfer we make from here on in.

If we don’t think he’s worth what they’re asking, move on. If we do, and we only have eyes for him, pay it and get him settled for the start of the season.

 

[alexmcity]

That gobshite journo of theirs is usually falling over himself every day to tell anyone whose listening it’s £50m, or the player stays. We’ve hardly heard a peep out of him this last couple of days.

 

[Rammy Blue]

Paying an extra £10m or £20m more than you think a player is worth is not irrelevant at all, when you factor in that you can add that to every other transfer we make from here on in.

If we don’t think he’s worth what they’re asking, move on. If we do, and we only have eyes for him, pay it and get him settled for the start of the season.

As people have rightly said though, we overpaid for Jack only 12 months ago so you can fully understand Brighton thinking we will do same for Cucurella.

 

[alexmcity]

1. City will not pay £50 Million for Cucurella and Brighton will not budge on their valuation, this deal is not happening this summer folks.

2. We have 3 full backs and Ake can play LB so We may not even sign an alternative LB.

IMO:

1. True.
2. Wrong.

 

[The slaughtered lamb]

As people have rightly said though, we overpaid for Jack only 12 months ago so you can fully understand Brighton thinking we will do same for Cucurella.

Release clause, so it made it easier. They weren’t selling unless we paid it. Kind of backs up my point though, overpay once and it gets noticed.

 

[Bluewars]

Not much left to say about this transfer anymore. Can we officially call it a “saga” yet?

It looks very much like a situation where, in the past, we have walked away.

Brighton making noises that their business model is to let players go at a certain price made me think it was just a matter of time but I’m not as confident now.

I feel sorry for Cucu but I wouldn’t be surprised if a name we hadn’t even been linked with before suddenly signed for us instead. Cucu is for sale no doubt but not at a price we seem willing to pay.

It‘s a big thing to City to be seen to be getting value for money and to take advantage of the fact that virtually every player wants to come here. It’s probably something we, as fans, underestimate.

This is definitely a transfer 'Saga' now and expect a sad ending.

City want to be seen as 'getting value for money' but last summer they paid a £100 Million release clause for Grealish. A player with only two years of premier league experience at the time. It's understandable some fans are confused by our approach to this transfer.

If Pep has identified Cucurella as his 1st choice LB the directors should stop bluffing and pay the fee, five seasons without a natural LB is incompetent enough.

Pep has done a great job coaching Delph, Zinchenko and Cancelo, they're all midfielders! Zinchenko will be exposed as a LB at Arsenal.

The team is incomplete without a natural Left back, why haggle over £10 Million for PR purposes.

 

[Lovebitesandeveryfing]

Release clause, so it made it easier. They weren’t selling unless we paid it. Kind of backs up my point though, overpay once and it gets noticed.

Yep, but it begs the question: should we have paid it? (And I rate Jack, by the way).
I wish City would just shell out this £50 million so I can stop thinking about it, and get on with my summer. It really is most inconsiderate of them…

 

[TheThirdDeano]

I can guarentee you that special update is "Nothing has been agreed yet and there's still some negotiation to be done on the fee."
And then Andy Naylor has a few digs about city buying everyone and spending loads of money.

 

[Nicholas van Whatsisface]

I guess this is the biggest story of his professional career - it’s probably expecting too much for him to toe the line and not turn this whole thing into some childish, binary, absurdist melodrama.

This is his one chance to get an invite from the WhatsApp group. He needs that golden ticket!!

 

[The slaughtered lamb]

Yep, but it begs the question: should we have paid it? (And I rate Jack, by the way).
I wish City would just shell out this £50 million so I can stop thinking about it, and get on with my summer. It really is most inconsiderate of them…

I think I said at the time, in today’s market and with his contract situation I could understand paying up to £80m for Grealish.

So 12 months later, here we are doing the dance around the price. We’re testing their resolve but it’s a bit pointless due to us a) our previous, and us obviously wanting him, and b) his contract situation. He’s money in the bank for them for the next 2 years; if we don’t pay £50m, someone will next season or the season after and until then they still have the player. They won’t budge.

 

[Centurions]

As people have rightly said though, we overpaid for Jack only 12 months ago so you can fully understand Brighton thinking we will do same for Cucurella.

Unless you think we paid more than the release clause then we didn't "overpay" for Grealish. We were obviously convinced he was worth it, I suspect he'll prove his worth this coming season for anyone unsure on him BTW.