Marc Cucurella is officially a Real Madrid player. The deal, which could rise to around £51.8 million, pulls a key piece out of Chelsea’s back line just when things were starting to feel stable. Cucurella was a big reason that defense looked as good as it did last season. Now the West Londoners have a hole to fill and a summer window that’s still open.
This isn’t just about finding a body. It’s about finding someone who can do what Cucurella did: get forward, defend in transition, and not look completely lost against the best wingers in the league. Here are four players who could actually be options.
Lewis Hall — The one that got away
Hall came up through Chelsea’s academy, which stings. He left for Newcastle in 2023 on an initial loan that turned permanent, and since then he’s turned into one of the most reliable left-backs in the Premier League. Over 100 senior appearances at 21 years old. That’s legit.
Bringing him back would be the cleanest narrative, but don’t expect it to be easy. Newcastle won’t just hand him over. And Manchester United has been sniffing around too. Chelsea would have to pay a premium to even start that conversation.
Antonee Robinson — Consistent, athletic, and available
Robinson has been quietly excellent for Fulham since 2020. His contract runs through 2028, which sounds like a problem, but the word is Fulham is open to selling this summer. The USMNT left-back brings relentless work rate and genuine attacking output. He’s not flashy. He just shows up every week and does the job.
For Chelsea, that kind of reliability might be worth more than a bigger name. And he knows the league. There’s no adjustment period.
Rayan Ait-Nouri — Talented but stuck on the bench
Ait-Nouri started strong at Manchester City after moving from Wolves. Then he got hurt in September. By the time he came back, Nico O’Reilly had locked down the left-back spot. Ait-Nouri made only 12 Premier League starts all season. That’s not what he signed up for.
He might be reluctant to leave City that fast. But Chelsea can offer him something he doesn’t have right now — regular minutes. That changes the math for a lot of players.
Maxi Araujo — The wild card from Sporting
Maxi Araujo has been on Chelsea’s radar for a while, and it’s not hard to see why. The Uruguayan is fast, can play multiple positions, and knows where the goal is. Sporting Lisbon won’t make it cheap. His contract runs to 2029, so they hold all the cards.
But if Chelsea wants a long-term answer with explosive upside, Araujo fits. It would take a serious fee to get him out of Portugal. That’s the kind of move a club makes when it’s done looking for short-term fixes.
Stats from Transfermarkt.
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