Enzo Maresca praised Marc Cucurella ahead of Saturday’s game against Brighton and believes he is improving the players around him.
Chelsea paid more than £60m to sign Cucurella from Brighton in 2022 and struggled in his first season at Stamford Bridge and was even booed by his own fans as the Blues slipped to 12th.
Cucurella was close to joining Manchester United on loan last summer, but stayed at Chelsea and is having a good campaign, especially the last six games of the season.
Maresca a big fan of Cucurella
With Chelsea struggling in a game against Aston Villa, Mauricio Pochettino made a tactical change that saw Cucurella shift into midfield when the team were in possession, a role he took to instantly.
The Spain international looked like a player reborn and carried that form onto the international stage with Spain where he shone as they won Euro 2024.
Cucurella is now one of the first names on the team sheet and has established himself as Chelsea’s first-choice left-back and a key player for the club.
The 26-year-old, who has transformed his Chelsea career, is now a firm fan favorite and Maresca was full of praise for him ahead of the game against his former club Brighton.
“Marc is very important, Marc has something that is sometimes difficult to find in players.” he told reporters.
“Marc is good, he is also making the players around him good because he is a guy who always talks, always demanding and when you have five, six or seven players like Marc, always talking and improving the other players, it is something . important I’m very happy with Marc.”
Cucurella was given the night off against Barrow in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday but is expected to return to the line-up against his former club as Chelsea look to make it three La Liga wins in a row and hand Enzo Maresca his first league cap. win at Stamford Bridge.
