Cucurella discusses transfer plans as Man City chase Brighton star

Brighton and Hove Albion defender Marc Cucurella said he has not had his head turned by Manchester City amid talk of a possible move to Pep Guardiola's side.

The Spaniard joined the Seagulls on transfer deadline day last summer when he arrived from La Liga outfit Getafe for around £16million. The 23-year-old has proved to be a bargain as he has regularly starred at left-wing-back for Graham Potter's dangerous Brighton side.

His performances have also began to attract the attention of the Premier League's big boys, as both City and Chelsea are understood to be admirers of the Spaniard. But Cucurella has insisted his attention has not been hampered by recent speculation as his focus has solely been on Brighton.

"No, I think this is good because when the people speak about you, I think it's good because you are working well and your season has been good," Cucurella said when asked by Brighton and Hove Albion's official website if his attention had been affected by recent speculation. "But I am focused on the last game and enjoying the summer.

"And right now I am very happy here. It's my first season and I think I have a lot of things to learn. "I'm young and with this gaffer and these teammates, I think it's good to learn and better for me to heighten my level."

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Cucurella has made 34 appearances for Brighton this season, entrenching himself as one of Potter's most important players.

Despite a few goalless periods in the season, Brighton have once again more than punched above their weight in the Premier League. They are on the cusp of finishing in the top half of the table, currently sitting in tenth position heading into their final match of the season against West Ham.

If Wolves lose to Liverpool and Leicester City fail to beat Southampton, Brighton could even sneak into the top eight. And while his future may remain uncertain, Cucurella also insisted that he wants to stay in the Premier League.

"In the future I think that I will stay in the Premier League because the football is fantastic, the fans, all the games every weekend are so loud," Cucurella said to the official Brighton and Hove Albion page. "The atmosphere is fantastic and I think it is one of the best leagues in the world.

"When you play in the Premier League you enjoy every game, because there are a lot of things in one game. It's strange, one game could be 0-0 and other games will have a lot of goals, and this is good for a football player. Staying in the best league is best for me."

With Benjamin Mendy unavailable and Oleksandr Zinchenko occasionally struggling, Joao Cancelo has spent the majority of the campaign as an inverted left-bacl. However, Kyle Walker's injury has forced Guardiola to move the former Juventus defender back into his more natural right-back position to compensate.

Meanwhile, Chelsea have uncertainties of their own at left-wing-back as Marcos Alonso has been linked with a move to Barcelona. While Ben Chilwell could be available after missing the vast majority of the campaign with a nasty knee injury, Thomas Tuchel may want to bolster his options.