An offer from Barcelona would be 'hard to turn down', concedes Cucurella

Marc Cucurella says it would be "hard to turn down" an offer to return to Barcelona if it were to come.

Cucurella, who currently plays for Chelsea, came through the Barcelona academy and made one single appearance for the senior team – as a substitute in the Copa del Rey.

He was loaned out to Eibar in 2018-19 before later joining Getafe following a loan spell, and eventually moved to Brighton in 2021.

Cucurella joined Chelsea in August 2022 and has gone on to make 154 appearances in all competitions, winning the Conference League and Club World Cup with the Blues. His performances in the latter competition saw him named in the Team of the Tournament.

However, when asked about a return to his homeland, and in particular, Barcelona, Cucurella admitted he was open to the idea.

"Spain is always Spain. It is where I grew up, and you always think about going back," he said.

"But I would [prefer to] leave it for a few years down the line. I am very happy here, and it is a great life experience.

"It is clear if that situation [Barcelona making an offer] did arise, it is hard to turn down, but I would have to consider it in the end.

"It is not just me. I also have to think about my family, and together we would have to decide what's best for us.

"As I have said before, right now I am not thinking about that. If it comes, it will come, and we will see what decision is made."

Chelsea are currently fighting for a Champions League spot in the Premier League, sitting sixth in the table with seven games to play.

It has been a tumultuous season for them, though, having sacked Enzo Maresca on New Year's Day before replacing him with Liam Rosenior.

Both of Cucurella’s titles with the Blues came during the Italian's tenure, and the Spaniard admits his exit was not a choice he agreed with at the time.

"We knew what Maresca wanted from us," Cucurella told The Athletic.

"Winning a title like the Club World Cup also helps, strengthens the bond, and you create great relationships during the celebrations.

"When a manager gives you that confidence and offers you a platform to fight for titles, you'd die for him.

"The moment Maresca left, it had a big impact on us. These are decisions taken by the club. If you asked me, I would not have made this decision. To make a change like that, the best thing is to wait until the end of the season.

"You would give everyone, the players and the new manager, time to get ready, have a full pre-season.

"The instability around the club comes from this, in a nutshell. We had a caretaker [former Under-21s coach Calum McFarlane] first, then a new manager, with new ideas and no time to work on them. It is what it is."