Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly admits Manchester City interest sparked Marc Cucurella transfer | OneFootball

Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly has provided a remarkably candid—and somewhat unorthodox—insight into the club’s early recruitment strategy during the BlueCo era.

Following the takeover from Roman Abramovich, Chelsea saw an immediate exodus of its long-standing executive team, including Marina Granovskaia and Petr Cech.

This left Boehly acting as the club’s interim Sporting Director, a role he admits he was fundamentally unprepared for.

Speaking at a recent panel session, the American billionaire reflected on the chaotic summer of 2022, revealing that the decision to spend over £60 million on Marc Cucurella was heavily influenced by Manchester City’s pursuit of the Spaniard.

“The whole management team left,” Boehly told iConnections.

“I was stuck being interim sporting director for a summer, having no idea what made a good football player, but knowing that Marc Cucurella, if Man City wants him, I want him.

“It was really simple that way.”

Cucurella had a rocky start to life at Stamford Bridge and was close to leaving on loan to Manchester United in 2023.

However, he has since established himself as one of Chelsea’s most reliable performers, recently signing a contract extension in November.

Sidelined with a muscle injury, Cucurella will miss a third consecutive game as Chelsea travel to the Emirates Stadium on Sunday evening to face league leaders Arsenal.