£175k-a-week Chelsea player thought he was leaving this summer, he’s shocked he’s played this season

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Reports have claimed that Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella was completely convinced he was leaving the club this summer.

According to The Athletic, the player is shocked he was given the start for the club against AFC Wimbledon in the League Cup.

This season has seen very limited opportunities for Cucurella at Stamford Bridge. He is yet to feature in the Premier League for the club.

He did however play 90 minutes in the League Cup last week, which was a surprise to many following the club.

With Ben Chilwell being an ever-present in the starting line-up at that point, many hoped to see Ian Maatsen feature in his regular position of left-back.

However, it was another attacking outing for the Dutchman, who may be poised to get more chances now he turned down a move away from the club on deadline day.

Cucurella expected to be sold

One player this spells bad news for is Cucurella, who looks surplus to requirements despite his £175k-a-week contract.

It was expected late in the window that he would be on the move to Old Trafford to help solve Manchester United’s short-term issues in his position.

This fell through at the final moments, with both clubs unable to come to an agreement on a few key factors revolving around the deal.

With Chilwell and Maatsen as part of the squad, it looks increasingly unlikely that the Spain international will be able to break back into the fold.

Mauricio Pochettino would be wise however to look to shift his system slightly when domestic football returns in a few weeks’ time, and this may be the 25-year-old’s chance to break back into the side.