Manchester City made an audacious attempt to sign Chelsea left-back Marc Cucurella in January.
The 25-year-old, former Brighton player, moved to Stamford Bridge for a reported £60 million last year, despite long-standing interest from Pep Guardiola and Manchester City.
Manchester City had two offers rejected by Brighton for the left-back before Chelsea reached an agreement with the Seagulls to sign the Spaniard in August 2022, after Cucurella was identified as a replacement for Oleksandr Zinchenko at the Etihad Stadium.
Cucurella featured in 33 matches for Chelsea last season, but was heavily linked with a potential move to Manchester United on Deadline Day, having failed to feature in any Premier League games under Mauricio Pochettino.
Pep Guardiola allowed Joao Cancelo to dramatically leave the club in January after a rumoured training ground bust-up, and according to Fabrizio Romano, Manchester City attempted to sensationally replace the Portugal full-back with a secret offer.
The reliable journalist claims that Manchester City presented a loan with a buy option proposal for Cucurella in January 2023, but saw the audacious offer rejected by Chelsea
Manchester City and Chelsea agreed a surprise deal for Cole Palmer towards the end of the summer transfer window last week, as the England U21 international moved to West London for £42.5 million.
Palmer joins former Sky Blues forward Raheem Sterling at Stamford Bridge, after the 28-year-old left the Etihad Stadium for £47.5 million in July 2022.
