Barcelona are already looking ahead to how they can strengthen key areas of the squad, with full-back depth becoming a topic of discussion.
Hansi Flick has relied heavily on consistency this season, but there is a clear understanding that competition in wide defensive areas will be important moving forward.
With the club always keeping an eye on players who understand the Barcelona philosophy, any links to former La Masia talents naturally carry extra weight.
And now, one familiar name has sparked fresh intrigue with comments that won’t go unnoticed.
Marc Cucurella has openly admitted that a return to Barcelona would be hard to turn down, reigniting talk of a potential future move back to his boyhood club.
“It would be difficult to refuse. It’s not just about me.
“I’d have to think about my family. If it happens, it happens, and we’ll see what decision is made.
“You always think about going back. [But] I’m very happy there [in England], and so is my family.
“I’ll leave it for a few years from now.”
The Chelsea left-back made it clear that while he is settled in England, the emotional pull of Barcelona still exists.
Cucurella’s connection to Barcelona runs deep, having joined La Masia in 2012 after starting out at Espanyol’s youth setup.
Although his first-team involvement was limited, making just a brief appearance and winning the Copa del Rey in 2018, his development there laid the foundation for his career.
In search of regular football, he moved on loan to Eibar and Getafe, where he began to establish himself before earning a move to Brighton in 2021 for €20 million.
Just a year later, Chelsea invested heavily, signing him for €65.3 million, a move that underlined his rapid rise.
Since arriving at Stamford Bridge, Marc Cucurella has become a key figure, playing 41 matches across all competitions this season alone.
He has also enjoyed major success, winning the Conference League and FIFA Club World Cup, while adding international glory with Spain at Euro 2024.
Despite that, his comments suggest that Barcelona still holds a special place in his thinking, even if a move is not imminent.
It was actually Ronald Araujo’s challenge on Cucurella last year that resulted in a red card as he received heavy backlash, but the two could soon be teammates.
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