Manchester City respond to transfer links to Chelsea’s Marc Cucurella | OneFootball

A new report has revealed Manchester City’s transfer stance and reaction to recent links to Chelsea and Spain left-back, Marc Cucurella.

Following the conclusion of the Pep Guardiola era, incoming manager Enzo Maresca and Sporting Director Hugo Viana have started plans well in advance of the squad returning for pre-season duties after the World Cup in North America.

With City coming off a gruelling 2025/26 campaign where they secured a domestic cup double but narrowly yielded the Premier League title to Arsenal, the incoming recruitment strategy is being meticulously tailored to fit Maresca’s vision on the game – likely to be similar to Guardiola as the club aims for continuity.

The left-back position has long been an area of experimentation in East Manchester, evolving from overlapping options to inverted roles, before the last campaign saw Nico O’Reilly largely dominate the position over summer signing Rayan Ait-Nouri.

Elsewhere, rumours of a high-profile shake-up have emerged, with European suitors said to be circling Rodri and defensive centrepieces Rúben Dias and Josko Gvardiol, despite the club intent on retaining all three names.

Do Man City really want Cucurella?

Now, according to a new report from The Athletic, sources close to both say inbound Manchester City head coach Enzo Maresca and Marc Cucurella had a good relationship during their time together at Chelsea.

However, despite recent links over a potential reunion, City are said to have indicated that they are not currently in the market for a left-back, perhaps in large part due to the presence of Nico O’Reilly, Rayan Ait-Nouri, Josko Gvardiol, and Nathan Ake in the squad.

The report does points towards ‘a person with knowledge of Enzo Maresca’s outlook’, who states that the Italian manager would be interested in the signing of a new full-back at City this summer.

An early clash between Maresca and Viana?

While the 27-year-old Spaniard mirrors the aggressive profile arguably needed in the Premier League, the recruitment department at Manchester City certainly views the position as entirely insulated.

The explosive emergence of Nico O’Reilly, paired with the experience of Rayan Aït-Nouri, Joško Gvardiol, and Nathan Aké, leaves virtually no logical vacancy in the first-team dressing room without a major departure.

What happens next will depend heavily on how much Maresca pushes for specific reinforcements ahead of pre-season training starting in July, and whether Hugo Viana manages to clear out fringe squad profiles and raise capital ahead of the market formally re-opening in mid-June.