Brighton and Hove Albion left-back Marc Cucurella has been left out of his team’s squad to face Espanyol after reportedly handing in a transfer request.
The 24-year-old is a transfer target of Manchester City after enjoying a successful 2021/22 season, where he won Brighton’s player of the year award.
He has already been subject to an initial bid by City, but Brighton have so far rejected those bids and refused to engage in further negotiations unless the Premier League champions meet their £50million plus valuation.
According to reports, Pep Guardiola’s side have offered around £35m and were willing to push to £40m. But the figure City is willing to pay is not good enough for Brighton, who values the Cucurella very highly.
City have other left-back options that are relatively cheaper, but Cucurella’s Premier League experience makes him an appealing option for the Cityzens.
But with his club unwilling to budge, the Spanish international has taken laws into his hands by handing in a transfer request.
Should they miss out on Cucurella, City will turn their attention to Borna Sosa from Stuttgart. The 24-year-old Croatia international joined Stuttgart from Dinamo Zagreb in 2018 and is valued at around €23million by transfermarkt.
