Gabriel Agboblahor has just held his hands up and admitted that he got it wrong when he previously doubted the quality of one Chelsea player.
When you look at the Chelsea squad from last season, there were plenty of ups and downs for many individuals. As a result, the Blues sneaked sixth spot in the Premier League with their young group, but it was another year without a trophy at Stamford Bridge.
It now falls on new Blues head coach Enzo Maresca to guide the team back to the top. Speaking via Chelsea’s official website recently, Levi Colwill explained Maresca’s been “amazing” so far.
Gabriel Agbonlahor admits Marc Cucurella has proven him wrong
TalkSPORT pundit Gabriel Agbonlahor has admitted this week that he was previously wrong to doubt Chelsea’s Marc Cucurella. This comes after the 26-year-old left-back finished last season in great form for his club, plus was a key individual in Spain’s success to win the Euro 2024 tournament this summer.
Agbonlahor told talkSPORT (6:12pm, 30 July): “Cucurella was the best left-back in the tournament, in the Euros. He was outstanding. He made a lot of people eat their words, even me. It was the Brighton Cucurella that was in the tournament.”
For what it’s worth, Agbonlahor definitely wasn’t the only person in the media to write off Cucurella after some dodgy form in Chelsea colours. Thankfully, the Spanish full-back has looked like a different player and back to his best in the last few months.
Marc Cucurella a key player for Chelsea
Remarkably, Cucurella could now find himself as a key player at the Bridge. On paper, he could really suit Maresca’s system at left-back, whether he’s asked to invert into midfield or tuck in as an extra centre-back.
It’s now been confirmed on Instagram that Cucurella is back at Cobham for pre-season training. He’s not with the squad for their tour in the US because of an extended break after the Euros, but his mind is surely already on next season.
Cucurella, who earns £175,000-a-week (Spotrac), is a great example of resilience because he’s gone from zero to hero in a short turnaround.
In contrast, Blues left-back Ben Chilwell is facing uncertainty going into the new campaign. Speaking via Football.London this week, Maresca admitted Chilwell’s situation is “delicate”, largely because he’s trying to work out the best way to use him.
If Cucurella can continue his recent form when he’s back playing for Chelsea, a spot in the starting line-up looks like it’s his for the taking.
Receive a digest of our best Chelsea content each week direct to your mailbox
