Brighton and Hove Albion defender Marc Cucurella has handed in a transfer request, as he tries to engineer a move to Premier League champions Manchester City.
The 24 year-old left-back is understood to have stepped up his attempts to secure a move to the Etihad by confirming his desire to quit the Amex, after talks between Brighton and Man City appears to have stalled.
Manchester City and Brighton are around £20 million apart in valuation of the left-back. The Seagulls want £50m for the man they only signed last summer for £15m though talks between the two clubs are ongoing but are also difficult at this stage.
Cucurella was identified as City’s leading target for the left-back position and they have intensified their efforts to sign him after selling Oleksandr Zinchenko to Arsenal and are believed to be willing to splash as much as £40m to get their man.
Brighton on the other hand, have no desire to sell and have put a £50m price tag on the Spaniard, a figure City consider too high.
The Cityzens have identified alternative targets including Stuttgart’s Borna Sosa and Benfica’s Alex Grimaldo and are ready to move on if a compromise cannot be struck.
Cucurella joined Brighton on a five-year deal from Spanish La Liga outfit Getafe last summer for around £15m, and was a major success in his debut season in the Premier League.
He made 35 appearances last season and scored his first and only goal in the 4-0 drubbing of Manchester United in May. He quickly became a fans’ favourite and was named both Brighton’s Player of the Season and Players’ Player of the Year.
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