'No agreement has been reached with ANY club to sell Marc Cucurella': Brighton insist Spanish defender has NOT yet completed his £52.5m Chelsea switch after it was widely reported... with Levi Colwill's move the other way holding it up
- Brighton have denied Marc Cucurella's £52.5m transfer to Chelsea is complete
- There were widespread reports the Spanish defender's move had gone through
- But agreement is not being announced amid Levi Colwill's move the other way
- The deal would have taken the Blues' total summer spending to £145.5million
- Pundit Gary Neville has torn into new Chelsea owner Todd Boehly, accusing the US tycoon of being 'naive' and 'looking like he wants to play Football Manager'
Chelsea are close to signing Marc Cucurella from Brighton for around £52.5million.
Brighton insisted on Wednesday night no agreement had been reached despite widespread reports to the contrary, but figures close to the deal are adamant the deal will go through.
A medical is booked for Thursday and Cucurella is poised to sign a six-year contract.
Talks had advanced over Chelsea's offer on Tuesday evening and an agreement moved closer on Wednesday night, with the Seagulls denying it was 100 per cent done.
They said in a statement, posted from an iPhone, on Twitter: 'Contrary to inaccurate reports from numerous media outlets this evening, no agreement has been reached with any club to sell Marc Cucurella.'
The clubs held off official agreement as talks are ongoing over Levi Colwill heading in the opposite direction, either on a loan or permanent deal and with a buy-back option.
![Brighton have released a statement insisting Spanish defender Marc Cucurella (pictured) has not yet completed his £52.5m move to Chelsea, despite widespread reports to the contrary](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/08/03/19/61038313-11078127-image-a-38_1659552043083.jpg)
Brighton have released a statement insisting Spanish defender Marc Cucurella (pictured) has not yet completed his £52.5m move to Chelsea, despite widespread reports to the contrary
![](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/08/03/22/60993551-11078127-image-a-9_1659561586457.jpg)
He has been convinced of Chelsea's project under Thomas Tuchel and new owner Todd Boehly
![The transfer would take Chelsea's total summer spend to £145.5m - and Gary Neville tore into new owner Boehly, calling him 'naive' and 'looking like he wants to play Football Manager'](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/08/03/20/61039077-11078127-image-a-42_1659554760351.jpg)
The transfer would take Chelsea's total summer spend to £145.5m - and Gary Neville tore into new owner Boehly, calling him 'naive' and 'looking like he wants to play Football Manager'
The 24-year-old has already agreed to join the club but is awaiting the go-ahead once the finer details of the fees and payments are passed by Brighton's owners.
The transfer, once complete, will take Chelsea's total spend this summer to £145.5m after moves for Man City's Raheem Sterling, Napoli's Kalidou Koulibaly and young goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina from Chicago Fire.
And pundit Gary Neville tore into new Chelsea owner Todd Boehly, accusing him of being 'naive' and 'looking like he wants to play Football Manager'.
Cucurella had handed in a transfer request last week after seeing Manchester City thwarted in their attempts to sign him for under £40m.
![Cucurella's arrival will allow Malang Sarr to move to Monaco on loan with a £10m option to buy](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/08/03/21/61003813-11078127-Cucurella_s_arrival_will_allow_Malang_Sarr_to_move_to_Monaco_on_-a-6_1659558300454.jpg)
Cucurella's arrival will allow Malang Sarr to move to Monaco on loan with a £10m option to buy
Pep Guardiola's Premier League title holders are keen to strengthen at left back after the departure of Oleksandr Zinchenko to Arsenal and amid Benjamin Mendy's ongoing absence, with only Joao Cancelo as a senior option in that position.
But City have turned their attention to Anderlecht star Sergio Gomez as an alternative after Chelsea hijacked their move for Cucurella, with City not pursuing a deal as they deemed the asking price too high.
The 24-year-old joined Brighton from Getafe for £15m last summer but impressed in his debut season, making 35 appearances and scoring once.
It had been considered that the former Barcelona academy graduate only wanted to join up with Guardiola but he has been convinced of Chelsea's project under Thomas Tuchel and new owner Todd Boehly.
![For their part, Brighton are discussing a separate deal for Chelsea centre-back Levi Colwill, 19](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/08/03/20/61003387-11078127-For_their_part_Brighton_are_discussing_a_separate_deal_for_Chels-a-39_1659553906262.jpg)
For their part, Brighton are discussing a separate deal for Chelsea centre-back Levi Colwill, 19
For their part, Brighton are discussing a separate deal for Chelsea centre back Levi Colwill, 19, who impressed on loan at Huddersfield last season and have expressed an interest in RB Leipzig's former Manchester City full-back Angelino.
Chelsea have had a chaotic couple of weeks striving to strengthen Tuchel's defensive options but the addition of Cucurella, Brighton's Player of the Year last season, will be a major coup if the deal is confirmed.
Cucurella's future arrival would pave the way for Malang Sarr to move to Monaco on loan with an option to buy for around £10m, and, potentially, for Ben Chilwell's backup Marcos Alonso to move to Barcelona.
Chelsea want to add at least one more centre back while they have also enquired about Southampton right back Kyle Walker-Peters as well as Denzel Dumfries at Inter Milan.
![](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/08/02/636x90_facebook_ad_sport.png)
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