Harry Watkinson
Marc Cucurella: the perfect replacement for Oleksandr Zinchenko?
As Oleksandr Zinchenko looks set to join Arsenal this summer, Manchester City are reportedly interested in signing Brighton’s defender Marc Cucurella… but what would he bring to the league Champions?
We’ve broken down the stats of the 23-year-old’s last three seasons, to see how the highly rated Spaniard has improved.
If you’re a City fan who wants to know how Pep Guardiola is aiming to improve his back line and add versatility to his squad, look no further than this article.
2019-20 – FC Getafe
Played: 46
Tackles per game: 2
Dribbles per game: 0.6
Crosses per game: 0.8
Key passes per game: 1.4
Pass success rate: 67.9%
Assists: 6
Goals: 1
Clean Sheets: 18
Up until joining Brighton, the highly rated Marc Cucurella played his entire career in La Liga, spending three seasons at Getafe where he stood out as one of the club’s best players.
Interestingly, for most of his time in Spain, he played mainly as a left midfielder and the 2019-20 season was no different, but his defensive stats were still impressive.
He was one of the first names on the team sheet, playing 46 matches in all competitions including in Getafe’s first Europa League run in their history, where they progressed to the Round of 16.
Across the campaign, he proved himself as a hard worker who loved a tackle – averaging 2 successful challenges per game – a high score for a midfielder.
Beyond that, he was effective at running down the wing with his good pace and creating chances for his teammates. He averaged 0.8 successful crosses per game as well as 1.4 key passes per game, so if you were a striker in Getafe’s team… you’d be happy to have Cucurella on the pitch with you. In total, he registered six assists in the 2019-20 season which saw Getafe finish eighth.
His defensive characteristics also no doubt contributed to Getafe’s excellent defensive record as they kept 18 clean sheets in all competitions while Cucurella was in the side.
It’s also worth noting that the European experience that the Spaniard gained in the 2019-20 season will undoubtedly be an attractive thing to Pep Guardiola, as he looks to finally win his first Champions League with Manchester City.
The only real downside to Cucurella’s game though was his pass accuracy, which was relatively low at 67.9%, suggesting he did occasionally give the ball to the opposition. He also scored just one goal, which perhaps was a key reason why he later developed into a defender for Brighton.
2020-21 – FC Getafe
Played: 39
Tackles per game: 1.7
Dribbles per game: 0.6
Crosses per game: 0.7
Key passes per game: 1.1
Pass success rate: 73%
Assists: 2
Goals: 3
Clean Sheets: 14
The 2020-21 season was similar for Cucurella in that he continued to be a key player in Getafe’s squad and still played most of his matches in midfield. He remained a solid tackler, averaging 1.7 per game and still made plenty of crosses and key passes, with 0.7 and 1.1 per game respectively.
He also improved his pass success rate to 73%, something that is especially important playing in a Pep Guardiola team, if he should join Man City this summer.
The Spaniard played his part in helping the team to 14 clean sheets across the 2020-21 campaign with his defensive work rate. He also chipped in with three goals and two assists in his final season at Getafe.
This ability to both be an effective creator and be solid at the back is no doubt what pushed Graham Potter to sign Cucurella from Getafe in the first place.
However, for Getafe the 2020-21 season was a big disappointment, dropping to a 15th place finish – far below the standards of their 5th place campaign just three years previously. Given that Cucurella was one of the best players in the side, it’s unsurprising that he decided to move on.
But what this season does show is that the then-21-year-old was still improving and was showing a lot of potential. The only question was… could he do it in another league?
2021-22 – Brighton and Hove Albion
Played: 38
Tackles per game: 2.7
Dribbles per game: 0.8
Crosses per game: 0.8
Key passes per game: 1.2
Pass success rate: 82%
Assists: 1
Goals: 1
Clean Sheets: 10
As mentioned, Graham Potter must have spotted the versatility in Cucurella’s game to have the confidence to play him in a whole new role for Brighton. In a matter of months, Potter turned him from a player who played almost all of his games as a left midfielder, into a very solid left-back and at times, even a centre-back, too.
Specifically, in 2021-22, Cucurella played eight matches in his usual left midfield position (mostly at the beginning of the season), 20 as a left-back and 10 as a centre-back. This ability to play well in different roles is something that made Guardiola want to sign Oleksandr Zinchenko, so you can see why Cucurella would be a perfect replacement.
Once again, the Spanish 23-year-old improved his game considerably. His successful tackles per game rose by 58%, from 1.7 to 2.7, which is perhaps unsurprising given his more defensive role, but it shows how well he adapted.
Despite playing in deeper positions, he still created chances for his teammates often; making 0.8 successful crosses per game and supplying 1.2 key passes. He was still confident with the ball at his feet, too, averaging 0.8 successful dribbles per game – often running down to the by-line to supply those crosses.
Perhaps the most important thing which Cucurella improved though was his pass accuracy, which increased from 73% to 82%. Without this, it seems unlikely that Manchester City would have even considered signing him, but in the 2021-22 season, he was one of the most consistent passers for the Seagulls.
His performances helped Brighton to 10 clean sheets across the campaign, too, which isn’t bad for someone who had barely played as a defender before last season.
His versatility, young age, pace, vision, and defensive attributes would make him a great addition to Manchester City’s already fantastic squad… but are they willing to pay his £50 million price tag? We will have to wait and see.
