Cucurella in Barca-Eibar limbo

At the start of pre-season, Marc Cucurella was promised by Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde he would be included in the first-team squad for this season. However, after their USA tour and Cucurella’s rejection of a move to Mainz because of that promise, Valverde suddenly changed his mind and chose Juan Miranda instead. Disappointed, Cucurella went to Eibar on a season-long loan with an option to buy.

The 20-year-old left-back was a hero for his loan club in their recent stunning victory over Real Madrid.

Spanish outlet Marca have now revealed that if Eibar decide to take up the option, Barcelona would still be able to buy him back at any moment for twice the price, taking the matter out of Eibar’s hands.

However, the player would naturally have to want to move back for that to happen, and the report rightly questions whether that would be the case. After Valverde broke his promise, it is quite possible that Cucurella would refuse to rejoin the Catalan club as long as the 54-year-old is in charge there.