Three potential replacements for Marc Cucurella at Chelsea

Chelsea have confirmed that 2022 arrival Marc Cucurella has joined Spanish giants Real Madrid.

While Cucurella has been linked with a return to Spain in more recent weeks, Fabrizio Romano's 'Here We Go' tweet confirming the Spaniard's imminent move to Real Madrid still came as a major shock.

Barcelona and Atletico Madrid were mooted as potential destinations for the 27-year-old, but it's Los Blancos who have confirmed the swoop for the talented left-back.

There's an overarching sense that Xabi Alonso requires substantial backing in the summer window if Chelsea are to make a sizeable improvement in the Premier League, and they can now add the left-back department to a number of areas that will need attending to.

We take a look at three potential replacements for Cucurella at Stamford Bridge.

Lewis Hall

A large quantity of Chelsea's transfer business has been criticised since the arrival of BlueCo, and it was no different when the club sanctioned the sale of Lewis Hall for a reported £35m package in 2024.

Newcastle's temporary addition of Hall was made permanent in the summer of 2024, and while he showed promise in his initial 12-month loan stint at St James' Park, it was in 2024/25 where he established himself as one of the Premier League's most promising left-backs.

Despite an underwhelming season for Newcastle by their more recent standards, the 21-year-old performed consistently throughout and the Magpies' reported need to sell has prompted suggestions that he could be moved on this summer.

While Manchester United's appreciation in Hall is well-documented, the departure of Cucurella may force Chelsea's hand in the transfer saga.

Alejandro Grimaldo

In signing a plethora of youth prospects, Chelsea have created a squad imbalance that lacks the presence of experienced leaders.

While there may be the temptation to sign younger players with a higher ceiling, there remains a critical need to recruit players with knowhow at the top level if the West London outfit are to build on a dismal 2025/26 campaign.

Alejandro Grimaldo was integral to Bayer Leverkusen's success under the stewardship of Alonso, scoring 10 goals and registering 15 assists in a remarkable 2023/24 season that saw the Bundesliga outfit win the German top-flight without defeat.

If the Basque-born manager does opt to employ a system with wing-backs at Stamford Bridge, 30-year-old Grimaldo could prove a cost-effective option who you'd suspect would fit the setup seamlessly.

Adrien Truffert

Adrien Truffert enjoyed quite the debut season for Bournemouth under the stewardship of recently appointed Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola, scoring once and recording five assists as the Cherries secured a European finish.

While the Frenchman played all of his minutes at left-back in the 2025/26 campaign, his front-footed and creative nature could suit the left-wing back role seamlessly.

Truffert joined Bournemouth for a reported £14.4m fee last summer, and if the South Coast outfit can double, or even triple their money on the 24-year-old, they may seize the opportunity.