The current Chelsea ace spent his formative years at Espanyol and Barcelona's academies, but never quite made the breakthrough at the Catalan giants, ostensibly because he was unable to dislodge Jordi Alba from his starting spot.
From Barcelona to Chelsea
A loan move to LaLiga minnows Eibar was the first port of call in his senior career, before another loan spell at Getafe, a move which later became permanent.
His success there prompted Brighton and Hove Albion to bring him to the Premier League, and it's from the Seagulls that he was signed by the Blues and where he's enjoyed the most successful spell of his club career.
A mainstay of a Chelsea defence and a player that can operate equally well in a back three, four or five, Cucurella is clearly enjoying his football and, with a contract that isn't due to expire until 2028, does not need to seek alternative employment elsewhere.
However, Atletico Madrid could be about to upset the equilibrium at Stamford Bridge, as news in Spain would indicate that Los Rojiblancos are set to test the waters with a €40m bid for his services.
Whether a move back home to Spain, particularly in a World Cup year, is a sensible one is a moot point at this stage.
Tenacity and desire
Negotiations haven't yet intensified to a level that any of the parties need to be concerned about, but if the player himself wants to ensure that there's nothing to stop him getting on the plane to the USA, then surely mid-season upheaval at club level isn't the way to go.
Assuming that any move would be more likely to take place in the summer, what would Atleti actually be getting for their money?
For a start, Cucurella is well known for his tenacity and desire, something that's a prerequisite for Diego Simeone.
Since joining Getafe in 2019/20, the Spaniard has recovered possession on no less than 1308 separate occasions, and has attempted a significant 2449 one-on-one duels.
Only during Spain's Nations League campaign of 2024/25 has his success rate in those duels dropped below 50%, whilst it has gone up to as high as 74.2% (Chelsea's 2023/24 League Cup run).
The physical nature of his defensive responsibilities hasn't appeared to be a problem either, as of the 573 tackles he's attempted in the same time frame, 380 have been won.
As with other areas of his game, he has steadily improved over time, and 72.7% success during the FIFA Club World Cup - almost three-quarters of his tackles - really is a masterful showing from the 27-year-old.
Attacking presence
Not renowned for his heading ability, which is probably the weakest part of his game in truth, Cucurella has still managed 172 headed clearances in all competitions since 19/20.
Where he does excel is with his raiding up and down the left channel. He provides a supplementary attacking presence as and when needed, albeit he can sometimes be caught out of position because of motoring too far forward.
The touch map from the 2024/25 Premier League season (below) shows just how much time was spent in the opposition half as well as his own.
13 goals in all competitions during the same period isn't too shabby for a defender, not to mention the 266 dribbles that he's attempted and the 597 occasions he's had 10+ progressive carries of the ball in a game.
A steadily improving pass completion rate in the final third has also seen Cucurella consistently post figures above 80%, with 722 of his 1316 passes made in the final third being crosses.
Of the 10,995 total passes he has attempted since 2019/20, 9,137 have found their target, which has seen the completion stat occasionally rise as high as 93.3% - no wonder he is so coveted by the Spanish national team manager, Luis de la Fuente.
Do Atleti really need Cucurella?
From Atleti's point of view, they have only recently signed Matteo Ruggeri for the left-back role, and they also have Javi Galan.
Adding Cucurella to the mix would certainly provide competition for places, though one or two would surely need to consider their options were Chelsea willing to accede to any bid from Los Rojiblancos.
Given the high turnover of playing staff in West London - and if Atleti's valuation is close enough to the player's market value - it isn't beyond the realms of possibility that the Spaniard will be given the option to choose his own destiny.
We'll just have to wait and see whether that's in the Spanish or English capital.
