‘Personal terms agreed’ - Man Utd swoop for £55m Newcastle United transfer target after major U-turn

Cucurella, who joined Chelsea from Brighton & Hove Albion for a reported £55million last summer, was targeted by Newcastle United as a potential loan option ahead of the 2023-24 campaign.

But The Magpies interest in the Spanish full-back cooled after Chelsea changed their stance on 18-year-old Lewis Hall. The Blues were previously unwilling to let the teenager leave before Newcastle submitted a loan proposal which included a £28million obligation to buy the player at the end of the 2023-24 season.

And that left the door open for Manchester United to swoop in and make a move for Cucurella in the closing stages of the summer transfer window.

According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Man United have agreed personal terms ‘in principle’ with Cucurella and are now pushing to get a deal done with Chelsea.

The Red Devils’ pursuit of a left-back comes following an injury to starting left-back Luke Shaw. The England international is expected to be out for around six weeks with a muscular injury.

Cucurella made 33 appearances for Chelsea in all competitions last season but has largely struggled to live up to his significant price tag. The 25-year-old attracted plenty of plaudits during his debut Premier League season with Brighton following a move from La Liga side Getafe in August 2021.

Cucurella progressed through Barcelona’s academy but failed to make a competitive first-team appearance for the Catalan club. He has been capped once by the Spain national team.