Enzo Maresca was full of praise for Marc Cucurella believes the Spaniard is making the players around him better.
Chelsea paid more than £60m to sign Cucurella from Brighton in 2022 and he struggled in his first season at Stamford Bridge.
The left-back was even booed by his own fans as the Blues slumped to a 12th placed finish.
Last summer Cucurella was close to joining Manchester United on loan, but he ended up staying at Chelsea and had a good campaign, especially towards the end of the season.
With Chelsea struggling in a game against Aston Villa, Mauricio Pochettino made a tactical switch which saw Cucurella invert into midfield when the team were in possession, a role he instantly took to.
He now looked like a player reborn and carried that form onto the international stage with Spain where he shone as they won Euro 2024.
Cucurella is now one of the first names on the team sheet and has established himself as Chelsea’s first choice left back and a key player for the club.
The 26-year-old, who has transformed his Chelsea career is now very much a fan favourite and Maresca was full of praise for him ahead of the game against his former side Brighton.
“Marc is very important, Marc has something you sometimes struggle to find in players,” he told reporters (via caughtoffside.com).
“Marc is good, he is also making good the players around him because he is a guy that is always talking, always demanding and when you have five, six or seven players like Marc, always talking and improving the other players, it is something important. I’m very happy with Marc.”
