Barcelona will move for €50m-rated Chelsea star if academy graduate leaves – report | OneFootball

FC Barcelona are staring at a pivotal summer transfer window as they look to finally conquer the European frontier after back-to-back La Liga triumphs.

With Anthony Gordon already signed, the Blaugrana are now prioritising the signing of a new centre-forward to replace Robert Lewandowski.

However, more signings are not ruled out, especially in the defensive line, where a new left-back could be arriving, depending on the future of Alejandro Balde.

Marc Cucurella the preferred replacement

In that context, Mundo Deportivo reports that Barcelona have identified another La Masia product, Marc Cucurella, as a candidate to replace Balde in case he leaves this summer.

Cucurella could return to Barcelona. (Photo by Manuel Velasquez/Getty Images)

The Blaugrana’s stance is clear: they will only enter the market for a left-back if Balde leaves.

And the player already on their radar is Cucurella, who would welcome a return to the club. The Spain international is said to have informed Chelsea that he would like a new challenge after the London side failed to qualify for European competition for next season.

Any deal for Cucurella would likely cost between €40 million and €50 million, as per the report.

Barcelona not actively looking to sell Balde

However, the key point in this story is that Barcelona are not actively pursuing the sale of Balde this summer.

Balde’s future has become a topic of speculation. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

Indeed, the La Masia graduate continues to remain a part of the club’s plans for the future under Hansi Flick even though he lost his place in the team to Joao Cancelo towards the back end of the season.

The situation would only change if Balde himself requested a move and arrived with a concrete offer from another club. In that scenario, Barça would be willing to assess a transfer and begin work on signing a replacement.

Several Premier League clubs have been monitoring Balde’s situation, while Inter Milan are also keeping a close eye on developments

In case the academy product decides to take up a new challenge, the La Liga champions have earmarked Cucurella as a candidate to replace him.