Barcelona have confirmed the return of Marc Cucurella, with the club activating the €4 million buyback clause inserted in his deal at Eibar.
Barcelona have issued an official confirmation, announcing the return of academy graduate Marc Cucurella. The Spaniard was sent on loan at Eibar for the 2018-19 season with an option to buy. While Eibar did activate the clause at the end of the season, Barcelona have exercised their buyback clause to bring the player back to Camp Nou.
Eibar have made a profit of €2 million on Cucurella within a matter of days. The La Liga outfit made the loan move permanent for €2 million, with Barcelona then buying him back for €4 million. The intent is reportedly to then make a profit on Cucurella or use him in a deal to add another first-team player.
There are reports that Barcelona will look to offer Cucurella along with cash to convince Real Betis to sign Junior Firpo.
OFFICIAL: Barca exercise buy-back option of €4m for Marc Cucurella from Eibar pic.twitter.com/0s2x69bLDh
— Aytalksoccer (@aytalksoccer) July 16, 2019
Marc Cucurella had a breakout campaign on loan at Eibar. The 20-year-old appeared in 31 La Liga games for the club, interestingly scoring against Barcelona in the last game of the 2018-19 season. Cucurella dabbled in playing as a left-back and as a left midfielder at Eibar, showing his versatility and attacking nous.
Barcelona have not had an option beyond Jordi Alba at left-back after the departure of Lucas Digne, with Ernesto Valverde looking to bring in a player to compete with Alba for a starting spot. Cucurella could fit the bill but is likely to be a last resort for the club, with the La Liga champions looking at other more established targets.
The Nacho Monreal trail has reportedly gone cold, with Barcelona likely to be pursuing a deal for Junior Firpo heavily. The Real Betis star has a €50 million release clause but are willing to negotiate at a lower price range.
Cucurella though, could be a bargain solution. Brought in for €4 million and having proven himself in La Liga, the 20-year-old should be given an opportunity to prove his worth at Camp Nou as the deputy to Jordi Alba. Who knows, the La Masia graduate could be the next rising star for Barcelona.
